Saar: For the first time ever, it will be offered with a seven-seat configuration as well as a diesel engine.

Honda Cars India will launch the all-new CR-V in India on October 9, 2018. The SUV was first showcased at 2018 Auto Expo and during the same event, the company confirmed that the CR-V will actually make its way in India this year. About a month back, we reported that the CR-V will launch in October and now it is confirmed.

Compared to the outgoing model, the new Honda CR-V will be bigger and, at least in theory, attract a lot more customers. How? Well, the new Honda CR-V will bring a couple of important firsts. One, apart from a petrol engine the SUV will also be offered with a diesel engine. And two, the CR-V’s cabin will have a three-row layout to accommodate seven passengers. We are sure you’ll agree that both those firsts will help Honda lure more customers. And to add that icing on top of the cake, the new CR-V is expected to come with features like dual-zone climate control, a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a multi-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.

As mentioned above, the new Honda CR-V will have petrol and diesel engine options. The former will be a 2.0-litre mill with 154PS of power and 189Nm of torque on tap. This engine will come mated to only a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which will send power to the front wheels only. The diesel engine, on the other hand, will have a displacement of 1.6 litres and produces 120PS of power and 300Nm of torque. In international markets, the same engine is also available in a higher state of tune, thanks to an additional turbocharger. For India, however, Honda decided to bring the one with a single turbo to keep the costs in check. The diesel mill will only be offered with a 9-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters as standard. The range-topping variant will come with the same engine-transmission combination but with all-wheel-drive.

Honda won’t be producing the new CR-V from scratch in India. Instead, it will be assembled. Prices are likely to start around Rs 27 lakh. Expect the fully-loaded AWD variant to cost more than Rs 30 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom). Once launched, the Honda CR-V will compete with the soft-roaders like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Kodiaq and the Hyundai Tucson. The Japanese SUV will also try and take the limelight away from serious SUVs such as the Isuzu MU-X, Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour.