2204cc 16v four, 138bhp @ 4000rpm, 251lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission:
Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Performance:
10.6sec 0-62mph, 112mph, 42.2mpg, 177g/km
How heavy / made of?
1637kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?
4615/1785/1710
Need to know
CAR's rating
3
Handling
3
Performance
2
Usability
4
Feelgood factor
3
Readers' rating
3
Honda CR-V 2.2 CDTi (2006) CAR review
By Jed Maxwell
17 November 2006 09:00
The castrati of SUVs is back, eh?
Steady. The CR-V isn’t the most macho of off-roaders but that hasn’t stopped it being popular. In fact it’s been the market leader for the past few years and given the Land Rover Freelander a girly slap in the process. But you’re right, it looks a bit apologetic for a supposed Freelander rival.
So the CR-V is happy having its SUV credentials laughed at?
Absolutely. The Freelander and BMW’s X3 might seem the obvious rivals but Honda actually benchmarked the CR-V against small executive cars like its own Accord. It sees the the CR-V as simply a more versatile estate car rather than a proper mud-plugger and that’s exactly how buyers see it too: Honda’s research found that 75 per cent of buyers had never taken their cars off road and never planned to. More important to them is the commanding driving position, slideable seats and useful boot. And not being seen as an SUV means side-stepping the hate lobby. With good reason too: the CR-V is actually safer and more environmentally friendly than a Mini Cooper S.
This is Freelander 2, an all-new British-built small premium off-roader, not to mention the successor to the car that kicked off the whole market for such cars. The final Land Rover designed by Geoff Upex before his retirement, Freelander 2 is bigger - 50mm longer, 109mm wider and 32mm taller - than the old car, faster, better equipped and, yes, more expensive too. A worthy addition to the Land Rover family? Read on to find out.
Under the skin
The new Freelander is just that, new. The body is a conventional steel monocoque constructed from high-strength steel but it’s not light, leading to a total kerbweight of around 1800kg depending on model. Suspension is all-independent by coils and gas dampers, the brakes are relatively large and plusher Freelanders will come with a version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response system. Like the Discovery’s and Range Rover’s, it has four modes: general driving, mud and ruts, slippery surfaces and sand and uses electronics to brake each wheel and send torque wherever suits.
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