2014 Honda CR-V 1.6L i-DTEC 6MT AWD (160 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Japanese automaker unveiled the refreshed CR-V at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, showing a new image and an enhanced engine lineup.

With the new Euro 6 emission standards being applied on the Old Continent, Honda had to upgrade its engine lineup. While doing so, it also improved the car’s look, which was not one of the best designs in its segment. But Honda’s customers seemed like they were more concerned about technical bits and pieces than the car’s look. For the U.S. customers, though, the Japanese brand focused on many areas, and the American-oriented CR-V looked different than its European-intended sibling.

Even though it kept the same angled headlights, its design was changed. In addition, there were new turn-signal areas that were stripped from their amber lenses. Moreover, Honda ditched the formerly used halogen-based bulbs for the daytime running lights and replaced them with LED ones. The grille sported a honeycomb pattern on the lower side, below the new blackened wide center slat. Finally, even though the CR-V was not really an off-road beast, the carmaker insisted on adding a metallic-gray trim on the lowest part of the bumper, mimicking an underbody shield.

Honda installed a graphic display inside the instrument cluster that took center stage in that multi-level panel. It now offered detailed info about the lane-keeping assist system, named LKAS, not only information regarding fuel consumption, range, or miles. The high-seating position was already appreciated by the CR-V’s customers, and that was kept. Also, the gear selector kept its place on the center stack, not between the seats.

But the most significant changes happened under the car’s skin. For starters, the U.S. version featured a 2.4-liter inline-four powerplant that sent its torque via a new CVT gearbox in all corners.