Facelifted Honda CR-V to get more safety

Honda Australia has revealed pricing and specifications for the facelifted 2021 Honda CR-V, which will bring more standard safety, new variants and price hikes across the range.

Pricing for the upgraded mid-size SUV, which will be available from September, now starts at $30,490 for the entry-level Honda CR-V Vi – a $2200 price increase on the outgoing model.

Every 21MY Honda CR-V variant powered by the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (140kW/240Nm) will be fitted standard with Honda’s safety and driver assist suite, which includes forward collision warning with braking intervention (AEB), lane keep assist, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation and adaptive cruise control.

That covers all grades except for the base Vi, the only variant powered by a 113kW/189Nm 2.0-litre four-pot petrol engine, in front-wheel drive configuration.

Regardless of the engine, all versions of the CR-V, Honda’s top-selling model and a direct rival for the dominant Toyota RAV4 come with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

For MY21, the interior of all CR-V grades gets a redesigned centre console with improved storage and convenience, “enabling easier access to phone and USB ports”, says Honda.

Other standard features across the 2021 CR-V range include a brand-new (and very welcome) 7.0-inch display audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus dual-zone climate control.

A wireless phone charging pad is also available in the CR-V for the first time, but only in VTi L7 and VTi LX AWD grades. The latter also comes with a leather-appointed interior and heated front seats with eight-way electric adjustment for the driver.

The second-from-the-top VTi L7, priced from $43,490 (plus ORCs), now comes with an electric tailgate, LED headlights, LED fog lights and tinted windows.

Other changes to the 21MY Honda CR-V include new front and rear bumper designs (with silver or grey lower accents depending on grade), a new blacked-out grille, dark-tinted tail-lights and a dark chrome tailgate garnish.

Fresh colour options include Ignite Red metallic – the hero colour for the 2021 CR-V range – and Cosmic Blue metallic, while Platinum White pearl, Lunar Silver metallic, Brilliant Sporty Blue metallic, Modern Steel metallic and Crystal Black pearl are carried over.

There are also new 18-inch alloy wheels for the VTi X, VTi L AWD and VTi L7 grades, while the range-topping VTi LX AWD gets a unique Y-spoke 19-inch alloy wheel, painted light grey.

Honda says the 21MY CR-V is the brand’s first nameplate to adopt a new model-grade naming convention, to simplify variant terminology and make it easier for customers to understand.

Hence, the ‘T’ in ‘VTi’ stands for turbocharged, while the ‘7’ means seven-seat and ‘AWD’ of course means all-wheel drive (as opposed to front-wheel drive).

How much does the 2021 Honda CR-V cost?
Vi 2.0 i-VTEC – $30,490 (+$2200)
VTi 1.5 turbo – $33,490 (+$2800)
VTi 7 1.5 turbo – $35,490 (new variant)
VTi X 1.5 turbo – $35,990 (new variant)
VTi L AWD 1.5 turbo – $40,490 (new variant)
VTi L7 1.5 turbo – $43,490 (+$4500)
VTi LX AWD 1.5 turbo – $47,490 (+$3200)
* Pricing excludes on-road costs