Honda CR-V Hybrid review - is dual-power SUV the best of both worlds?

Honda’s CR-V has been around for decades now and over the years has established a strong reputation.

The family SUV is known for being comfortable, spacious and reliable. What it isn’t known for is its economy, at least in petrol form.

With Honda preparing to ditch diesel engines entirely, that's an issue that needed to be address, which the latest model aims to do with the introduction of a hybrid system for the first time.

Honda say that it allows the CR-V to offer strong on-road behaviour with far better economy and environmental performance than before.

Under the skin a 2.0-litre petrol engine is matched to two electric motors to offer total power of 181bhp.

In two-wheel-drive guise that’s good for 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds while the four-wheel-drive (the expected big seller) it means 62mph in 9.2 seconds.

The CR-V is a self-charging rather than plug-in hybrid so while it will run under electric power alone it’s limited to just over a mile of zero-emissions driving. Most of the time, its controls will switch seamlessly between EV, hybrid and engine-only mode to maximise its potential.

Honda estimate that at a steady 62mph cruise the CR-V will run in EV drive a third of the time and at 40mph, half the drive will be in EV mode. Official figures put the CR-V’s economy at 51.4mpg (WLTP figures will be lower) but, on an admittedly tough route, we saw mid-30s. The world might be shying away from diesels but, for comparison, our long-term Peugeot 5008 managed 48mpg and lower CO2 emissions from its 1.5-litre diesel.

The economy is, at least, better than the alternative stand-alone petrol model.

On the road the hybrid system shifts between modes unnoticed and the engine is well refined and punchy enough for a car of its size. Sadly, as with so many hybrids it’s hampered by the transmission.