2012 Honda CR-V (photos)

Honda gave its CR-V small SUV an update for 2012, refreshing the exterior and including some updated cabin tech.

Back to review.

Honda does not have a set design language among its models, but the CR-V's floating grille is a nice cue that should be picked up on other cars bearing the H badge.

Back to review.

Unchanged is the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed transmission. Honda is developing more efficient engines, but the CR-V won't benefit until its next update.

Back to review.

The CR-V is a very practical car, a five-seat SUV with easy access and plenty of headroom.

Back to review.

CNET's CR-V came with the all-wheel-drive option, which can shift torque to the rear wheels when the front wheels lose traction.

Back to review.

With the rear seats up, the CR-V boasts 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space, down slightly from the previous generation.

Back to review.

The rear seats fold flat very easily, opening up 70.9 cubic feet of cargo space.

Back to review.

In EX-L trim, the CR-V has leather seats with power adjustment for the driver.

Back to review.

The rear bench features adequate leg room.

Back to review.

Many of the CR-V's udpates come in the form of slight cabin-tech advances.

Back to review.

Honda went to an electrically boosted power-steering system for this generation of CR-V, which helps its fuel economy.

Back to review.

The instrument cluster serves as an efficient driving coach, lighting up a green ring around the speedometer when you are driving economically.

Back to review.

The CR-V uses a five-speed automatic transmission. Rather than manual gear selection, it has two low ranges.

Back to review.

The new I-MID screen sits at the top of the dashboard, showing vehicle information with nice color graphics.

Back to review.

The navigation system has been somewhat improved, but still looks rough.

Back to review.

The CR-V gets its traffic data through satellite radio.

Back to review.

Honda provides a few different options for destination entry.

Back to review.

Predictive text on the onscreen keyboard shows only the next possible letters, making it easier to use while driving.

Back to review.

The phone system now includes the ability to receive text messages, but it only works with a handful of phones.

Back to review.

The Bluetooth audio streaming interface shows full track data.

Back to review.

The satellite radio interface puts its six presets right up front.

Back to review.

The iPod library interface shows the usual categories for album, artist, and genre. The USB drive interface only shows folder names.

Back to review.

The I-MID can show audio information, including album art, and uses a more attractive design.

Back to review.

The I-MID also shows the current track when Pandora is selected.

Back to review.

The audio system in the CR-V only has seven speakers, but it produces a pleasant, full sound.

Back to review.

The rear-view camera includes some different options, such as wide-angle and top-down.

Back to review.