Honda CR-V Named Motor Trend SUV of the Year for 2015

10 years ago - 16 October 2014, Autoblog
2015 Honda CR-V
2015 Honda CR-V
Motor Trend has announced the results of its 2015 SUV of the Year competition, and from a field that included the new Porsche Macan, Cadillac Escalade, Subaru Outback, Chevrolet Suburban and BMW X5, the buff book has awarded the gold calipers to the 2015 Honda CR-V.

If that result surprises you just a little, well, get to the back of the line.

MT looked at six different categories ranging from overall design to efficiency – both fuel economy and carbon footprint – to safety and value to pick its winner, singling out the refreshed Honda while paying particular praise to its new 2.4-liter Earth Dreams four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission. A tighter steering ratio was also cited as a big source of improvement.

"There was a lot of contentious debate," MT Technical Director Frank Markus told Autoblog, indicating that nearly half the judges approached the final round of voting with an eye towards the redesigned Jeep Cherokee. "This year's field included some pretty fancy and fast iron, but the thoughtful changes made by Honda to hone its best-seller entry in that crowded compact cross-over segment really did the trick."