The Honda CR-V loses out on volumes only because of the absence of a diesel engine under its hood. The urban SUV has always been a capable vehicle offering sedan like driving dynamics along with the practicality of an SUV, seldom seen together in the segment. However, the Japanese manufacturer is finally taking notice of the capable CR-V and is planning to plonk the 1.6-litre diesel engine in it by 2015.
Honda was a late entrant to the diesel party with the Amaze diesel last year, but did catch up to competition most easily with an efficient and powerful 1.5-litre Earth Dreams diesel mill coupled with the legendary Honda quality and reliability. The company is considering getting the bigger version of this very engine, the 1.6-litre EarthDreams to power the diesel CR-V SUV. The 1.6-litre diesel CR-V is already on sale in Europe and has received rave reviews for its performance attributes in spite of being a small engine. You also get the 2.2-litre diesel unit internationally but the 1.6-litre makes more sense for use in India.
The 1.6-litre Earth Dreams engine develops 118 BHP of power, and while that may not seem too much, it surely makes up with a smashing 300 Nm of torque available at 1750 RPM. Expect the engine to be mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The diesel CR-V will also be a two-wheel drive version only, which results into weight savings of up to 70 kgs. Considering the vehicle will be substantially lighter, the power to weight ratio should suffice the performance criteria and will also result in lower fuel consumption. The CR-V diesel manages a combined fuel efficiency of 22.8 km/l in the UK driving cycle.
The Earth Dreams engine could also find solace under the hood of the Accord sedan. The car has been more of brand builder with the cracker petrol variant doing dismal numbers. The 1.6-litre mill could be tuned with the addition of a twin-turbo for an output of 140-150 BHP and around 380 Nm of torque. How’s that for performance?
Honda already produces the CR-V and the 1.5-litre Earth Dreams engine in the country and it should not come out as a challenge to bring these two together. The CR-V diesel could offer features from its petrol counterpart, while Honda could add some more by 2015. You get ABS, EBD, six airbags and disc brakes on the SUV. Expect the prices for the CR-V diesel to start at Rs. 25 lakhs (ex-showroom), when launched.
Source – Autocar India