It was early 90's and the SUV market was well on the way to today's success. At that time, most SUVs based on pickups were not exactly car-friendly. In the mid-90s, however, the term crossover would skyrocket and become one of the hotly contested segments of the world.

Before the CR-V

In the 1980s, Honda had toyed with the idea of a light off-road vehicle. The Honda Civic Shuttle 4WD was essentially a Civic with slightly increased ride height, larger mud flaps and especially a four-wheel drive. A special novelty was the all-wheel drive. At that time, most 4WD mechanisms were mechanical and needed a lever to activate this mode. With the Civic Shuttle 4WD, the rear
wheels are engaged by simply operating the switch, and later even a low-range transmission was achieved.

In the late '80s Honda introduced the second generation Civic Shuttle 4WD also known as Beagle, it followed the formula of its predecessor. Higher ground clearance, four-wheel drive and even under-body protection were part of the package. Honda probably knew they had something to do with it at the time, setting the precedent for one of the most successful Honda models ever.


First Generation (1995-2001, RD1-RD3)
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With the experience of building the Civic Shuttle 4WD Honda developed its first SUV, which was built from the ground out. When the design was completed in 1993, the 1995 production model debuted in 1995.By its very nature, this was not an elevated Civic wagon.

To begin with, there was a more advanced real-time four-wheel drive system, eliminating the need for a switch to power the rear wheels. Since the CR-V is based on the Civic,it has also received the suspension extras. The first-generation CR-V has double wishbone suspension on all four corners, giving it a dynamic flair. With a 2.0-liter engine under the hood, it had initially 126 hp, but later 21 hp more for a total of 147 hp.

This CR-V generation was built and launched in late 1996. It virtually opened the lock gates for mini SUV's and expanded the appeal of the Honda brand.

Second Generation (2001-2006, RD4-RD9)

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The new millennium brought a brand new Civic and a brand new CR-V. The second-generation model underwent several significant updates and upgrades to the CR-V series. For its second iteration, the CR-V received a completely new engine in the form of the K20 series. The new engine is full of i-VTEC and brings variable valve timing into the CR-V for the first time. The second generation CR-V also lost the impressive double wishbone front suspension and instead had a pair of struts.

The body also grew considerably since the first generation, which gave it more space inside. Honda even kept the novel picnic table of the predecessor model. It was built and was initially available as a nine-seat 2WD model. A few years later, however, there would be more technical innovations.

When the facelift model came on the market, the four-wheel drive returned, but this time it had more power to boot. The all-wheel drive CR-V was now equipped with a larger 2.4-liter i-VTEC engine with 160 hp and 220 Nm of torque. The 2.2-liter mill made 150 hp and 350 Nm of torque, making it currently the strongest CR-V.


Third generation (2006-2012, RE3-RE7)
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In the third generation, Honda revolutionized the CR-V. The mini-SUV look of the last two models was gone and in its place was a much larger, longer and rounder body. The side-opening hatchback had been replaced with a more conventional up-lift tailgate, and the spare wheel had been transported into the car's interior. Of course, the changes go beyond that.

The interior was comparatively higher than before and brought the CR-V in the luxury. At the same time, this era of CR-V brought more safety technology and equipment with it. It was the first CR-V to offer stability control and a variety of front-to-back airbags. As portable MP3 players became increasingly popular, the third generation of the CR-V also featured convenient auxiliary ports. This was the CR-V for the iPod generation.

Apart from more technology, the engine range has been significantly improved. The 2.0-liter engine now uses the R20 block and runs cleaner than the replaced model. The 2.4-liter engine received a powerful boost and made 170 hp and 218 Nm of torque. The third-generation model has set the template for the next two CR-Vs.

Fourth Generation (2012-2017, RM1-RM4)
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The global economic crisis hit many automakers hard and Honda was not spared. Nevertheless, the Japanese automaker persisted and developed the fourth-generation CR-V. While the third generation was a radical step, this particular model was more conservative. Nevertheless, Honda did not stop to keep the CR-V up to date.

It had an improved infotainment system and a more meaningful display of driver information to track vehicle status. It has also adopted the comprehensive safety suite of its predecessor, making the CR-V one of the safest cars on the road. As the crossover segment became even more competitive, Honda made the rear rooms even bigger and more spacious than its more spacious predecessor.

The engines were taken from the old model. For instance, they were 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter engines with the same performance.

Fifth generation (2017 - Present)
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With the critical recognition of the tenth-generation Civic, it's safe to say that Honda has pulled out all the stops with the fifth-generation CR-V. While the exterior is evolutionary, it is a revolution under the hood.
Along with this engine, the brand new CR-V presents a series of novelties for the local market. The fifth-generation diesel-powered CR-V benefits from a nine-speed automatic transmission that replaces the old five-speed units that have been used for local variants. Nevertheless, Honda has not ignored those who still prefer gasoline engines. The 2.0-liter engine now benefits from Earth Dreams technology and is now equipped with a continuously variable transmission,

The electronic parking brake with automatic brake stop, the assistant for agile handling, the driver attention monitoring, the vehicle stabilization assistant, the hill start assist, the anti-lock braking system with electronic brake distribution, the emergency stop signal and the multi also offers a lot of safety technology -View reversing camera with dynamic guidelines and a Warning of low tire pressure. A strong contrast to the first-generation model.

CONCLUSION

Honda has shown the CR-V for the first time in the world and has been a big lead ever since. Who would have thought that a CR-V offers unimaginable functions right from the start? The CR-V also did a lot for the brand in those years.
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http://www.eliancars.com/2019/07/the-history-and-development-of-honda-cr.html


cc : Lalasticlala, Marpol

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