The big 'H' goes off-road

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With Honda's previous lack of a large four-wheel drive, the MRV might be the company's answer to the massive Gulf off-road market. The company has never been known for its big cars and has instead established a concrete hold on the hatchback and tuneable sports car market. Although not as physically big or robust looking as much of the opposition, any car built by the famous Honda brand needs to be investigated closely and the MRV is no exception. A car competing in this segment is going to need the ability to carry a large number of people or luggage, or possible both. It is also going to need to be stylish at the same time, as 4x4 buyers will no longer settle for the boxy tractors the industry used to churn out. So the big question is does it have what it takes to fight it out in the tough world of the sand sluggers?

The very first thing that strikes you about the MRV is its amazing resemblance to the smaller CRV. It seems the design team at Honda were away that week on holiday, so they simply increased each dimension of the CRV to give themselves an easy ‘in' to the off-road market. From a distance it is quite difficult to tell them apart, and even up close they are strikingly similar.By keeping the two so similar, Honda has created a car that is so close to its smaller sibling that it is possibly devalued in its own market.

That aside, it's easy to see why they have gone down this route. The CRV/MRV design is very neat and clean. In true Honda style, there is nothing on the MRV to upset anyone. It's well-proportioned, carefully thought out and certainly won't be controversial. Then again, it will also not be winning any design awards in the near future either. One of the key parts of the exterior is the perceived low door sills. Although the car has reasonable ground clearance, it appears to be low to the ground, making it very different in appearance to a Land Cruiser, Prado or a Pathfinder. The standard side steps don't help and the black plastic lower section front and rear really reinforce the idea that this is not a rugged off-roader.

Inside, the MRV is really quite odd. The dash is fairly plain and easy to read, but the controls don't seem to have changed since the CRX and Civic of the 80s, including the ancient stereo. The plastic is standard black and grey, with a few touches of leather and chrome. Perhaps the strangest part of the car is the centre console, which features a huge empty centre section. The gaping hole looks as though something is supposed to go there, but was left out at the last minute. The car also has a column shifter, which although loved by Americans, are almost universally hated by everyone else. Maybe this is a clue to the thought process behind the car, but with most other 4x4s offering a body hugging dash and clever tiptronic centre shifter, it really isn't the proper way forward outside the states.

On the positive side, the rear extra row of seats is excellent and offer a very versatile set-up for a big family. There really is room in this car for five reasonably sized people and a few kids. However, you do tend to feel you're driving a people carrier, rather than a 4x4, especially with the shape of the exterior, the low seating position and the huge expanse of seats behind you.

Under the bonnet the V6 engine is very willing and propels the car along at surprising speed. Even from a standing start the typically raucous Honda engine note preludes some very strong acceleration from the very responsive accelerator. Honda seems to always be able to squeeze more power from their engines than you're expecting, which is always a nice surprise. You can jump into an Accord, CRX, or the MRV and get the same race-bred response from the high revving on-cam power band.

The gearbox is also excellent, once you've found ‘D' from the ridiculous column shifter. Both upshifts and downshifts are excellent, with a smooth transition between each cog. Mid-range acceleration is also strong, making the engine one of the highlights of the MRV.

On the road the MRV is very nice to drive. Being a larger four-wheel drive the chassis has to cope with the engine, which it does fairly well. It also corners well and doesn't complain too much when you over do it. Body roll is minimised without making the ride too stiff under normal conditions, which is a common battle manufacturers often seem to get wrong. Honda however, seem to have done a good job finding the middle ground, allowing a comfortable ride without the inherent floppy cornering that often follows.

The clever four-wheel drive system kicks in when the car senses it needs it, which works well. Although it can still also be selected by the driver, it won't appeal to the small market of really hard core off-roaders in this segment. Mind you, most drivers are lucky to venture off the tarmac more than once a year anyway.

As a standalone vehicle the MRV works well, feels solid and certainly won't upset anyone. However, put it up against much of the opposition and the car will really start to struggle. Quite why Honda isn't building a rival to the bigger top-of-the-range Nissan and Toyota off-roaders is still not clear. But Honda also isn't stupid and maybe, just maybe, softer more road-friendly 4x4s are the way forward.

Verdict

There's not much wrong with the MRV apart from the awful column shift, but it doesn't quite hit the big 4x4 mark. Despite the excellent engine the interior lets it down and the looks will turn away many.

Engine

3.5 litre VTech V6

0-100 kph

8.5 secs

Top speed

175 km/h (Limited)

HP

280@5,600rpm

ME price

US$27,173 (AED99, 725)

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