Driving to the Peak in Real Time

One of my cousins, Ronald Dizon, was very proud of his 2003 Honda CR-V. He sold his dressed-up Honda Civic ESI to make room in his garage for the front-wheel-drive (FWD) ten-seat mini-SUV-cum-AUV and was happy that he got it before the excise tax prompted Honda to raise its price further. But he might not be happy with the latest news from Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI).

You see, Honda fitted the latest iteration of their highly popular sports-cute, er, sports-ute with RealTime four-wheel-drive, leather interior, body-colored bumpers, new wheels and a different suspension set-up. The new CR-V 4X4 became more agile, more comfortable and more focused. In short, it’s a better CR-V and it’s got a new attitude. And my cousin loves cars with attitudes.

Not that the FWD CR-V doesn’t have any, but it’s just that the 4X4 version returned to its true calling: it is, after all, a mini-sports utility vehicle and its RealTime 4WD system ensures it as such.

The system works without any driver input or any control switches on the dashboard. It works with two hydraulic pumps monitoring the speed of the front and rear drive shafts. The engine’s power is transmitted to the front wheels like any FWD CR-V. Under normal driving conditions, the front and the rear shafts spin at the same speed and the pumps just circulate the fluids around the hydraulic system. However, when one of the wheels spins, thus creating a difference in speeds between the front and rear shafts, the system directs the pressure to the hub that has more traction, and automatically engages four wheel drive. The system is claimed to shift from two-wheel-drive to 4X4 almost seamlessly so that the driver can react faster and more confidently to the change in road surface.

To demonstrate the CR-V 4X4’s capability, HCPI brought several motoring journalists, including yours truly, to Baguio then to Benguet and back for their "CR-V Peak Drive". Our odyssey started on an early Friday morning at Honda Cars Makati, where 10-time National Rally Champion (national hero?) Vip Isada together with HCPI’s Min Magbal and Noel Umpad flagged-off the four CR-V 4X4 media cars and the three FWD CRV HCPI/Roadwise/marshals units. A fifth 4X4 acted as the advance party to ensure our accommodations were well taken care of.

I had the pleasure of sharing driving duties in The Philippine STAR/SPEED Magazine/Motioncars.com Pearl White Mica CR-V 4X4 media unit with Ulysses Ang of Motioncars. We were supposed to share the car with Andy Leuterio, motoring contributor of The STAR and associate editor of SPEED magazine, but he moved to a later date because of his hectic schedule.

On the North Luzon Toll Way and on roads throughout Central Luzon, the CR-V 4X4 behaved like a normal front-wheel drive car, with the RealTime 4X4 system delivering part of the 150 horses of the 2.0-liter engine to the front wheels. There were instances on the inclines up Naguilian Road that may have activated the system to engaged four-wheel-drive but it was too indiscernible to call attention. Well, at least not in our CR-V or at least not while I was driving. We reached Camp John Hay Manor by night fall without any incident.

Day 2 (Saturday) found us traversing La Trinidad Valley en route to Mt. Data. We encountered paved roads at first, but we were soon faced with rough roads with mud puddles and sharp stones. We stopped at the Philippine Highways Highest Elevation in Atok but I forgot to take note of how high it was because I was distracted by the majestic scenery. In spite of the approaching fog, the mountains and the surrounding vistas gave credence to that old TV station jingle that the Philippines is a "big, beautiful country".

We left Atok and drove further up the mountains over ruts and roads being cleared of landslides but the CR-V 4X4 just happily strode over them. We encountered a thick fog as we started our ascent towards Mt. Data, which limited forward visibility to about twenty feet. It was further exacerbated by rain which made the roads even more slippery, yet the Honda eased through them while giving the driver enough confidence to tackle these treacherous conditions. Of course, the limited ground clearance of the Honda cannot take it where big-tired 4X4 monsters could but it could still go where angels, or vehicles with lesser capabilities, fear to thread.

Ulysses Ang’s more aggressive driving style would often evoke the RealTime 4WD system to announce its shift to 4X4. But it was not a loud "ker-chunk" or a groan like those of old 4X4 systems, just a mild shudder of the body and a bit of tire squeal corrected by minute inputs on the steering wheel. Not once did the CR-V 4X4 get us into trouble, even when we were inadvertently prompting it to. Needless to say, we reached our luncheon destination at Mt. Data Hotel with our hides, and our appetites, intact.

After lunch and some rest, we drove back to Baguio using the same route and passed through the same ruts albeit on the opposite lane. The roads seemed narrower and faster but maybe because we were on the descent that we got this impression. We reached Baguio by dusk, tired but confident of our capabilities and that of our now mud-covered vehicles. Once safely nestled in Camp John Hay, Aris Ilagan of the Manila Bulletin joked that instead of having lunch in any of Baguio’s fine restaurants, HCPI had driven us to lunch in far-away Mt. Data Hotel just to punish us. Or to show off the Honda CR-V 4X4, whichever is more convenient.

This writer is pleased to report that whatever Honda’s plans were (in Benguet at least), they succeeded. The Honda CR-V Peak Drive showed us that the new CR-V 4X4 is a true, capable mini-SUV. At P1.2M, it gives other mini-SUVs a run for their money, while it represents the premium value of the engineering that goes into every Honda automobile. A value which I’m sure my cousin Ronald and other satisfied Honda owners would understand.