Honda CR-V Hybrid 2024 long term review

In the short innings since its late-2023 launch, the new sixth-generation Honda CR-V has made quite the critical splash. And no variant in the freshen lineup has moved as much water as the flagship e-HEV RS version, the sole hybrid variant and perhaps biggest departure in form from its frumpy fifth-gen forebears.

Now the top-spec CR-V e-HEV RS arrives in the Chasing Cars garage for a six-month, 10,000-kilometre tenure, off the back of critical applause in both launch and garage reviews.

Our assessment thus far? At launch, we called the wider CR-V range a grown-up, refined and well-specced, a worthy rival to Toyota’s RAV4 that offers “magic” ride and handling balance.

Meanwhile, our deeper week-long garage review in the top dog e-HEV RS revealed best-in-range driving manners and miserly fuel consumption from its unorthodox front-drive hybrid format, though we concluded the ultimately the turbocharged-petrol all-paw VTi LX – the penultimate grade – is actually the smarter, more affordable sweet spot in the CR-V range.

With levelled-up credentials comes levelled-up pricing: the entry point for CR-V jumped a whopping $8510 with gen-six’s arrival (albeit not in like-for-life replacement trim) while the flagship hybrid’s $59,900 ask sees Honda’s midsize SUV scaling new outlay heights.

Enter ‘Fred’, as I’ve nicknamed our example, and for a couple of reasons. But it’s mostly because it’s short for ‘fiery red’, of course.

Sure, that’s not very imaginative, nor even the name of our new long-termer’s actual colour (called Ignite Red). But it’s vastly more memorable than e-HEV RS, a backronym for Comfortable Runabout Vehicle Electric Hybrid Electric Vehicle, where the ‘RS’ suffix is either Road Sailing or Rally Sport depending on your chosen intel source. Fred, though, is easier.

So, Fred it is.

Why we chose the CR-V e-HEV RS

That’s easy. Firstly, an all-new model in the hotly contested midsize SUV segment deserves a very deep dive. And, secondly, the Fred-spec petrol-electric flagship grade is Honda’s first stab at what’s generally been the most popular segment leader with its most popular powertrain option: Toyota’s RAV4 hybrid.

And unlike the plethora of RAV4 variant