Honda CR-V 2024: Variants Explanation

The Honda CR-V became one of the world’s first crossover SUVs when it arrived on the scene back in 1995. Over the coming decades and continued success, the Honda CR-V rose to become the world’s best-selling SUV. Fast-forward to November 2023, the sixth-generation model was introduced in the Middle East.

In less than two months, the all-new Honda CR-V 2024 had reached showrooms in Saudi Arabia. Within Honda’s KSA line-up, the CR-V finds itself placed between the smaller HR-V and the larger Pilot. The CR-V is built on the new Honda Architecture (HA) platform – also shared with cars like the Honda Civic and Honda HR-V.

 

The Honda CR-V’s segment rivals in Saudi Arabia are the Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail, Hyundai Tucson, and Mitsubishi Outlander. Even though these cars are targeted at a similar audience, the Honda turns out to be pricier. Before getting into the variants’ explanation, it would be prudent to learn a bit more about the all-new Honda CR-V.

 

Brief look at the all-new Honda CR-V 2024

Compared to the quirky and sculpted styling of the old CR-V, the all-new model features an upright stance with a flatter silhouette. This makes it appear bigger and more mature, while the cleaner design makes the all-new CR-V more appealing to more people. Speaking of which, the CR-V has grown in some aspects.

 

It is more than 80 mm longer and 12 mm wider than the fifth-gen model it replaces. The Honda CR-V 2024 comes in at 4,706 mm in length, 1,866 mm in width, and up to 1,691 mm in height. The fact that Honda has also increased the wheelbase by over 40 mm is good news for interior room.

 

Keeping up with its other newer models, the cabin of the all-new Honda CR-V is presented as a serene and modern space. The honeycomb effect on the air vents looks great, while the perforated leather seats and the tastefully done plastic-wood trim extract a sense of luxury. The quality of the build and the fit-and-finish are just as good.

The clever design of the center console at the front frees up some space and makes the cabin feel wider. Meanwhile, the tablet-like infotainment screen and the upright but sleek dash are interesting design touches. Along with seating for up to seven, the Honda CR-V gets loads of storage cubbies and cup/bottle holders for all three rows.

The relatively boxy shape and the large greenhouse area make the CR-V’s cabin feel spacious and airy. With all seven seats in place, the boot space of the Honda CR-V 2024 is a measly 150 liters. However, that goes up to more than 470 liters with the third row tucked away.

Under the hood of the all-new Honda CR-V is a 1.5-liter turbo-petrol engine with 190 hp and 243 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a CVT gearbox and drives just the front or all four wheels, depending on the variant. Fuel economy for the 2WD and AWD versions is 15.5 kmpl (6.4 L/100 km) and 14.8 kmpl (6.7 L/100 km), respectively.

Variants of the Honda CR-V 2024

Honda CR-V DX (2WD)

Priced from SAR 144,785, the base variant of the all-new Honda CR-V in KSA is the DX. While that is a steep price tag, the CR-V DX variant does come with several features as standard. These include things like automatic LED headlights with LED DRLs & sequential turn indicators, plus keyless entry with remote engine start and push-button ignition.

The entry-level CR-V also gets the convenience of rain-sensing wipers, power-folding ORVMs, active noise cancellation, an auto-dimming IRVM, dual-zone climate control with second-row & third-row vents, rear USB Type-C charging ports, and split-folding second-row seats. Adding to the list are Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, an 8-speaker audio system, a 7-inch digital driver’s display, and a 7-inch infotainment unit.

The DX variant is fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, dropping its height at the roof by a barely noticeable 10 mm. It remains a good-looking car, so there is nothing to fret about on that front. The interior is mainly upholstered in decent-feeling fabric, but the front seats are manually-operated and there is no height adjustment for the driver’s seat.

There are no USB charging ports at the front nor a wireless charger, and the urethane material used on the steering wheel and gear lever feels low-rent. Other glaring misses on a vehicle at this price point include the lack of rear parking sensors and a tire-pressure monitoring system. However, it is not all bad news.

The CR-V DX variant features eight airbags, seatbelt reminders for all rows, ISOFIX child-seat anchors, driver attention alert, etc. These are followed by hill-start assist, hill-descent control, vehicle stability assist, and ABS with EBD. All variants also get ‘Honda Sensing’: Auto high-beam, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-departure mitigation.

Honda CR-V LX (2WD)

The starting price of the Honda CR-V LX variant in Saudi Arabia is SAR 151,685. Like the entry-level DX, this variant is also only available in a two-wheel drive (2WD) configuration. Exterior features that differentiate the LX from the DX are the larger 18-inch alloy wheels, stylish shark-fin antenna on the roof, and parking sensors embedded into the rear bumper.

The DX and LX variants of the new CR-V share an identical ground clearance of 198 mm. By and large, the interior of the LX variant is similar to the base DX. Both these variants get an electronic parking brake with the ‘Automatic Brake Hold’ function. This feature comes in handy when you have to wait for extended periods in one place.

To prevent excess fatigue, the driver can engage Automatic Brake Hold. The system works by automatically engaging the brakes when the vehicle comes to a halt, deleting the need to manually depress the pedal. All variants of the Honda CR-V also get automatic power windows on all four sides, plus map lights, sunvisors with built-in vanity mirrors, and a reversing camera.

To maximize fuel-efficiency, there is an ECON Mode button on the center console. The only noteworthy additions to the LX over the DX include the wireless charger and paddle shifters. This is placed right in front of the gear lever, inside a well-spaced cubby for easy access. However, there is no change to the seating or the interior upholstery.

Honda CR-V EX (AWD)

With the window sticker now jumping to SAR 175,835, we get to the Honda CR-V EX. As its name indicates, the EX variant of the CR-V comes with all-wheel drive or AWD as standard in KSA. Trying to justify its price are features such as an increased ground clearance of 208 mm and an overall vehicle height of 1,691 mm.

This makes the EX (AWD) variant 10 mm taller at the roof while also affording an equivalent amount of additional ground clearance than lower variants. Updated tech on the outside includes automatic headlight leveling, LED front foglights, and a powered tailgate with ‘Walk Away’ auto close. Meanwhile, the ‘Premium Card Key’ allows easier vehicle entry without pressing any buttons.

Some of the other useful upgrades here would be the dual-zone automatic climate control system, a front USB charging port, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, plus a larger 9-inch touchscreen. The driver’s seat gets 8-way electric adjustment with lumbar and memory functions, while the front-passenger seat gets 4-way electric adjustment. There is also a panoramic sunroof.

Leather has now replaced fabric as the preferred upholstery choice, which makes the cabin feel more premium and comfortable. Adding to the safety equipment is a multi-angle rearview camera and Honda LaneWatch. The latter uses a camera mounted into the passenger-side ORVM. When activated, it displays vehicles (or pedestrians) that may have been in the driver’s blind spot.

Honda CR-V Touring (AWD)

Costing SAR 187,335, the Touring (AWD) is the top-spec variant of the new Honda CR-V in Saudi Arabia. On the outside, there is not a whole lot to tell this variant apart from the EX (AWD) – save for the different badges, front parking sensors, roof rails, and fake exhaust tips.

Opening the door of the Touring variant will reveal ambient lighting in the roof, all four doors & handles, and the front cupholders. While the 9-inch infotainment system is vastly similar to that in the EX trim, the system in the CR-V Touring (AWD) also gets built-in navigation. The only other new feature is the head-up display or HUD.

The head-up display of the new Honda CR-V not only shows the car’s speed and engine RPM, but it also supports turn-by-turn navigation and multiple active safety alerts via the Honda Sensing suite.

Conclusion

There is no debating the high price of entry if you are considering purchasing a new Honda CR-V 2024. Once past that initial doubt, you will be met with a family-friendly and well-equipped modern crossover SUV. Being an avantgarde with the CR-V, Honda knows a thing or two about making a reliable and comfortable car.

 

When it comes to actually picking the right variant, that will depend mostly on what you can do without. The entry-level DX gets plenty of standard kit that would satisfy buyers who just want a CR-V but aren’t too worried about every feature under the sun. However, for many others, upgrading to the LX would make more sense.

 

 

The LX variant gets everything the base DX gets but adds a few nice-to-haves like rear parking sensors, wireless charging, and paddle shifters. Looking for more but don’t want to go all the way to the Touring? This is where the CR-V EX comes in.

 

The EX adds not only all-wheel drive, but also LED front foglights, automatic climate control, a front USB charging socket, leather upholstery, powered front seats, a bigger touchscreen, wireless smartphone connectivity, a hands-free tailgate, and a panoramic sunroof. This leaves little impetus to upgrade to the top-trim CR-V Touring.