Honda adds cheaper seven-seat CR-V VTi-E
BY SPENCER LEECH | 7th Jan 2019
HONDA Australia has introduced a second seven-seat variant to its CR-V mid-size SUV range dubbed the VTi-E, bringing the price of entry to its three-row crossover down to $34,490 plus on-road costs.
Previously, CR-V customers opting for a third row were limited to the high-spec VTi-L priced at $38,990, however the new VTi-E undercuts that figure by $4500.
In turn, the VTi-E misses out on a number of features including a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, Honda’s Lane Watch camera, sat-nav, driver seat memory and heated front seats.
As standard though, the new CR-V variant is fitted with 18-inch alloys, a reversing camera, an eight-way power driver’s seat, leather-appointed pews, a 7.0-inch infotainment display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, rear USB ports, and air-conditioning vents for all three rows.
Power comes from the 140kW/240Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which is shared by the rest of the range except for the base-model Vi that gets by with a 113kW/189Nm 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated donk.
All CR-Vs are equipped exclusively with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Both seven seat variants use a front-wheel-drive system, with all-paw drivelines available only in five-seat VTi-s and VTi-LX trim.
Though fuel consumption figures have yet to be revealed for the new VTi-E, its VTi-L seven-seat sibling returns 7.3 litres per 100km.
Pricing for the rest of the range carries on unchanged at $28,390 for the entry-spec Vi, up to $44,290 for the range-topping VTi-LX.
The CR-V was the fifth best-selling sub-$60,000 mid-size SUV in 2018, with Honda moving 16,107 units over the course of the year, which translates to 69.5 per cent increase compared to 2017.
This puts the Japanese medium SUV in strong contention with key rivals including the Mitsubishi Outlander that tallied 15,573 sales last year, the Subaru Forester (12,432), Kia Sportage (14,042), Nissan X-Trail (21,192) and Toyota RAV4 (22,165).
However, Mazda again topped the segment in 2018 thanks to 26,173 new registrations of its CX-5 last year, enough to secure the crown as Australia’s most-popular SUV.
2019 Honda CR-V pricing*
| Vi 2WD (a) | $28,290 |
| VTi 2WD (a) | $30,690 |
| VTi-E 2WD (a) | $34,490 |
| VTi-S 2WD (a) | $33,290 |
| VTi-S AWD (a) | $35,490 |
| VTi-L 2WD (a) | $38,990 |
| VTi-LX AWD (a) | $44,290 |
*Excludes on-road costs
