Honda has had a long stint in India and still do have with their petrol powered cars. They make highly refined, elegant, comfortable but not value for money cars. Oh, lest we forget, they make only petrol cars. Honda always had this problem and they give the reason that the Indian fuel would harm their diesel cars. Even after the advent of many such premium brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes, and all having diesels in their line-up, Honda still stood their ground. Their dominion on the petrol powered motors still was strong in the soft roader segment. That did change recently with the advent of the Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Captiva and the Toyota Fortuner. All the aforementioned cars are soft roaders and are available with a diesel power plant. This explains their high sales figures whereas the CR-V had to make do with a lone 2.4 liter petrol motor that isn’t the best in terms of fuel efficiency and moreover had a similar or more asking price than the diesel power plants.
Honda have recently announced that they would shoe horn a diesel power plant into their car-like soft roader. Yes, you read it correctly. Honda have felt the heat from the competition and want to be numer uno in the sales chart again. They have developed a new diesel mill and it is rumored to be a 2.2 liter common rail engine producing 134 Bhp @ 5,500 rpm and a high 347Nm of torque @ 3,300 rpm. This power is less than what the Fortuner and the Captiva or for that matter even the Santa Fe offers but the torque more than makes up for it.
Look-wise the New Honda CRV diesel will look the same as its petrol motored cousin. The only difference would be at the tail of the car which would sport a diesel tag or whatever nomenclature Honda chooses for their diesel. The interiors would have a big difference with the materials used now sporting a very rich and premium feel than the existing one. Minor styling changes would include changes in the alloy wheels design, sturdier front shock absorbers and redesigned bumpers to absorb crash energy at low speeds. The gear box would be revised and would now feature a 6 speed auto transmission. More use of sound deadening material would be used inside the cabin and under the hood to mask the diesel clatter. The diesel is slated to be one amongst the most fuel efficient in its class. It will give an average of 12 kmpl in the city and about 19 kmpl on the highway.
The New Honda CRV diesel would continue with the ride and handling of its petrol brother and this means a good pliant ride and handling like a car. The CR-V is the easiest soft roader to drive in its class and the diesel would carry this image forward.
The biggest point is that Honda CR-V petrol retails at Rs.24 lakhs and the diesel would be pegged at Rs.30 lakh. This would put it squarely in the soon to be launched BMW X1 and the Mitsubishi Montero. Most of the buyers in this segment would be more focused on brand image and that the BMW dolls out in plenty. Worth considering would be its rivals who at about Rs.8 lakhs less, are similarly reliable, have more equipment and also have a good brand image. The Honda CRV diesel in India would be launched in October 2011 and shortly after that, the same engine would be used in the Honda Accord.
Technical Specifications of the Honda CR-V diesel
Name: CR-V Diesel
Car Body Type: SUV
Segment: D Segment
Top Speed: 180 kmph
Fuel Consumption{ Highway}: 19.00 kmpl
Fuel Consumption{ City}: 12.00 kmpl.
ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Displacement: 2200cc, common rail diesel, 4 Cylinder
Engine Type: Diesel
Maximum Power: 134 Bhp
Maximum Torque: 347 Nm
DIMENSIONS
Length: 4620 mm
Width: 1790 mm
Height: 1720 mm
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Seating Capacity: 5
Steering: Power
Brakes: Front ventilated Disc, Rear solid Disc
Gears: 6 speed automatic
Ground Clearance: 187.00 mm
Kerb Weight: 1635.00 kgs.
