Honda CR-V is top SUV in ‘What Car?’ test

THE infuential motoring consumer magazine

‘What Car?’ has compiled a list of the most economical SUVs in their rigorous

‘True MPG’ Road Tests, and the most fuel efficient SUV which they have tested is the Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC diesel.

This is the second win for Honda in the tests, with the Honda Civic recently being named as the most economical car tested by the magazine last year overall.

The unique fuel economy tests conducted by What Car? are unlike the official government figures in that they are generated from real-world driving.

Official fuel consumption figures are generated in laboratories which do not consider the impact of traffic, weather and other real-world factors which influence fuel consumption.

Where the What Car? tests differ is that they employ similar scientific techniques for measuring economy, but do so on the open road and in real, every day driving conditions.

The What Car? test begins with an urban route at speeds below 25kmh, the test then continues to an extra-urban route including dual-carriageway and motorway driving, before concluding with a final urban route.

At the end of the test, the average fuel consumption on the test route is calculated from the measured CO2 emissions.

However, the volume of traffic inevitably varies, so this economy figure is just a starting point. Sensors attached to the car’s electronic systems record the road speed, exhaust manifold pressure and throttle position throughout the test, while other equipment measures the altitude, humidity and air pressure at each given moment. These variables all have to be factored in before calculating a car’s true fuel economy.

Emmet Kavanagh, Marketing Manager at Universal Honda said:

“We’re delighted that CR-V has become the latest Honda model to top the What Car? economy tests as they confirm that our new 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine is a real-world leader in fuel economy.

“To have topped such a stringent test from such an influential publication is a very important accolade for us. While the CR-V already leads the class on official figures, it’s the results from real-world driving where the CR-V is a true winner.

?

The Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC offers a class-leading combination of fuel economy and performance – offering a powerful 120PS, while emitting only 119 g/km of CO2 for annual road tax from e200.

The engine is the first to be launched in Europe under Honda’s flagship Earth Dreams Technology environmental programme; offering customers an outstanding balance of high fuel economy, low emissions and dynamic performance.

The Honda CR-V range starts from

?¬31,995 and is available from Honda Dealerships nationwide.