Thanks for all thesefab electrical gizmosVo l vo S 9 0
Month 3The story so far
Not another diesel SUV, but
rather one of those old-fangled
saloons. With a petrol engine
to boot!
+Falling more and more in love
with the cabin- We’ve ventured beyond the
M25 for the first time, so fuel
consumption has finally bettered
30mpg
Price £44,920 (£49,370 as
tested) Performance 1969cc
turbo 4-cyl, 247bhp, 6.8sec
0-62mph, 140mph Efficiency
42.2mpg (official), 31.6mpg
(tested), 156g/km CO2 Energy
cost 18.1p per mile Miles this
month 319 Total miles 1063LogbookAlso, help! By Anthony ffrench-ConstantIn the same way that the average
high street is now so overwhelmed
by high-viz jackets that it’s become
more interesting to speculate on
what those not wearing them do
for a living, the average family SUV
is now so glutted with high-tech
gadgetry that it’s become annoying
to discover how little of it can be
made to perform properly without
recourse to the instruction manual.
None of which would actually
matter if, firstly, ff-C family dogma
did not clearly dictate: ‘If all else
fails, read the instructions’ and,secondly, the CR-V’s instruction
manual – despite being stout
enough to readily wedge the doors
of Westminster Abbey open in a stiff
breeze – was of any help whatsoever.
So far, into the ‘if all else fails’
category have fallen the Ensemble
icon on the radio screen, which
steadfastly refuses to grant access
to BBC Radio 4 Extra; the Hold
function on the handbrake, which
may or may not, with menopausal
unpredictability; and the auto
high-beam headlights, which
like to disengage in harmonyMoments after ordering the S90, I
started worrying whether I’d done
the right thing. I had no qualms
about the S90 per se, but I did start
to question the combined effect of
all the options I’d specified. There’s
blue paint, plus R Design Pro spec,with the auto stop function.
And before you start lobbing
Luddite labels around, two
tech-savvy teenagers prove none the
wiser either, despite being able to
synch their phones to the car with
suspicious ease.the steering wheel, gearstick and
key fob. In short, a BMW 520d M
Sport wannabe with a dark and
foreboding cabin.
Then I spent a bit of time in
a Volvo XC60 with its lovely tan
leather, and a few days in a new
V60 which was white as alabaster.
Both had gorgeous slabs of lightly
coloured driftwood across their
dashboards, too, hinting at some
idyllic Scandinavian lakeside retreat
with its own private jetty. All of
which made me wonder why I’d
tried to create a Germanic S90.
Mercifully the reality is different,
as there’s none of the try-too-hard
detailing of the BMW. Rather, it’s all
nicely restrained and understated,
with the metal trim and little
touches like the white stitching
atop the leather-trimmed dash
brightening the cabin.
It helps that the central portrait
touchscreen is set below the
parapet, blocking out less light.
When the digital screen ahead of
the driver really tells you all you
need to know, there’s no reason
why another should be up in your
eyeline.
It drives really well too. There’s no
over-the-top bravado or excessive
sportiness, rather a decent ride,a hint of heft from the steering
and the sensation of wide front
tyres with lots of grip, a responsive
throttle pedal, and a pleasing little
noise from the four-pot petrol. If
only it consumed fuel like a 520d...
@thebenpulmanHonda CR-V
Month 3Price £31,745 (£32,295 as
tested) Performance 1498cc
turbo 4-cyl, 171bhp, 9.8sec
0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency
42.8mpg (official), 32.1mpg
(tested), 151g/km CO2 Energy
cost 17.9p per mile Miles this
month 6240 Total miles 2149LogbookThe story so far
Electronic vagaries hide
the CR-V’s light under an
increasingly dense bushel
+Centre console bin swallows
a litre of Famous Grouse- Small tank, tiny door pockets
meaning big wheels, tinted rear
windows, a more aggressive front
bumper and the deletion of the
chrome strips along the doors.
Inside, sports seats trimmed in
black leather, black headlining,
and perforated black leather onVolvo’s class shinesthrough our iffy specEven the bad options are good. By Ben PulmanSee how the white
stitching brightens
things up!Even teenagers
struggle in here136 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2019
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