Here you have it folks, Honda has unveiled the European version of the CR-V facelift that has undergone a significant mid-life refresh, receiving cosmetic tweaks and a new diesel powertrain.
Exterior wise, Honda has tweaked the CR-V with a new headlamp design, front grille, fog lights and bumper. At the rear, changes are subtle, with new LED combination lamps, a refreshed tailgate design and bumper.
Bigger changes can be found under the hood. Four-wheel drive versions are now available, with a new downsized 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine from Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology series. The new engine replaces the previous 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel, which is being phased out.
The new diesel engine produces 158bhp and 350Nm of torque. CO2 emissions are claimed to be less than 130g/km of CO2, when the engine is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission, which represents an 11% improvement compared to the outgoing unit.
This engine will also now be offered with a new 9-speed automatic transmission in place of the previous 5-speed manual gearbox. The CO2 emissions for this combination will be less than 135g/km, 20% better than its predecessor.
The two-wheel-drive CR-V, available with a 6-speed manual transmission, will continue to be offered with the lower-powered version of the 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel engine. It’s the frugal champion in the range, producing 118bhp and emitting 117g/km of CO2 in its most economical guise.
The existing 2.0-litre petrol engine will continue to be offered with either 2- or 4-wheel drive and either the manual or automatic 5-speed transmission.
The CR-V facelift will make it official public reveal at the 2014 Paris motor show later this week.
