Seats that is. Honda has been busy rejigging its CR-V range and a new addition is the Limited 7.
It puts seven seats on a buyer’s menu for under $40k and, as hinted by the Limited badging, adds a dash of flash. One can expect leather trim for all three rows, a powered driver’s seat (no memory function though), a smart key, reverse camera and dual zone air. There’s a seven-inch touchscreen with CarPlay and Android Auto functionality to enable sat nav, which isn’t part of the standard deal.
A few bits and pieces have missed the cut, like Honda’s LaneWatch camera, auto wipers and lights, parking sensors, seat heaters and a powered tailgate, all of which you can get, and more, in the Sport 7, which goes for $44,990. However, neither gets the active safety gear offered in the Sensing models, not even AEB.
The seven-seat configuration adds air vents for the third row, there’s a proper three-point belt for the middle seat rather than one dangling from the roof, the second row has been placed on runners and there’s also a curtain airbag extending to the third row.
While the five-seater CR-V has plenty of boot space thanks to its low-set floor, the seven-seat version has had to make a few compromises to include the extra pews in the rear.
These seats sit atop the usual floor level, meaning less overall space in the luggage hold when in five-seat mode. Access to the rearmost seats is okay as the second row (split 40/60) folds and slides on both sides. And you will have to move that second row forward in order to give those seated in the rear some semblance of legroom.
However, even when the middle seats are set right the way forward, an adult can still sidle on in, albeit with knees brushing up against the front seats. The third row here is best thought of as occasional seating, suitable more for the kids as it’s a genuine squeeze for an adult. There’s just enough room but no more.
And there’s a compromise on boot space and second-row leg room to make it all work. We guess it’ll suit those who don’t want a big seven seater and the steeper initial purchase cost and larger fuel bills. The 7 uses the firm’s 1.5-litre turbo and CVT combo, and drives the fronts alone.
This can spin the tyres occasionally if the surface is greasy and you might detect some torque steer with the hammer down, but it’s unlikely owners will be pushing the boundaries with the kids on board.
Otherwise it drives much like the AWD models, the turbo easing things along with its wide spread of torque, all handled efficiently by the CVT box.
The quick ratio steering is present to ease commuting and parking, and you can expect the CR-V 7 to return 8-9L/100km on average.
And also that the $39,990 is what you and everyone else will pay for the 7 Limited, given the Honda price promise of no haggle buying.
