• Plenty of interior space
• Hybrid means five-seat only
• Clever storage solutions up front

How much space is there?

The CR-V’s long wheelbase means it boasts the most interior space out of any of its predecessors. This was enough for it to be offered with seven seats – however, that was only on the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol model. This engine has been dropped from the range, leaving only the Hybrid, and this has its batteries in the space that a third row of seats would occupy, leaving the CR-V as a generous five-seater only.

Space in the CR-V is excellent. The front seats offer loads of room no matter how tall you are, with plenty of headroom and lots of adjustment in the seats to accommodate.

In the second row, even the tallest will find it easy to get comfortable as there’s plenty of head and legroom and a totally flat floor meaning even a middle passenger has somewhere to put their feet.

Three individual seats give passengers the option to adjust their own comfort, though it’s a shame there are only two Isofix points across the bench.

Boot space and storage

With the rear seats in place the CR-V Hybrid has 497 litres of boot space. That’s less than you’d get in a Toyota RAV4 but more in the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

It’s also a wide, unobstructed space, with a broad tailgate providing excellent access and a totally flat floor that remains such when the rear seat backs are folded.

Folding the seats is easily done and when they’re out of the way it liberates 1,694 litres of space up to the roof.

The load lip is very low and totally flat, so it’s easy to slide larger items in, while top-spec EX cars come with an electric tailgate to make life even easier.

Is it easy to park?

The CR-V is a large car and despite the high driving position its extremities aren’t all that visible, so parking isn’t the easiest. Parking sensors aren’t standard equipment on base models, but they are from SE trim upwards – as is a rear view camera, and these make all the difference in the world when trying to squeeze into a smaller spot.

How big is it?

How safe is it?

• Strong five-star Euro NCAP rating
• Honda Sensing safety package standard
• Lots of safety and driver assistance technology

The CR-V was tested by Euro NCAP in early-2019 gaining a solid five-star crash-test rating, in part thanks to its lengthy list of standard safety and driver assistance technology.

There are six airbags as standard, as well as a stronger construction than ever, which Honda says makes the CR-V more rigid and more safe.

As part of Honda’s Sensing suite of safety kit, the CR-V comes fitted with:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System – autonomous emergency braking
• Forward Collision Warning – detects and warns if you may be about to hit something ahead
• Lane-departure warning
• Road Departure Mitigation – nudges the car back into the lane if it detects it’s about to leave the road
• Lane Keeping Assist System – keeps the car in its lane
• Adaptive Cruise Control – an ‘Intelligent’ version of this is also available that detects other cars potentially cutting into your lane in front of you
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Blindspot monitoring
• Cross-Traffic Monitor
• Multi-angle rear-view camera