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A Possible
7th SENSE
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Could this be the sense that we have been missing all these while?
“Beng, you go for Honda CR-V media drive okay?”
“Okay!”
Thus, with every inch of trust bestowed upon me from Bobby, I mentally and physically prepare myself all night for the Honda CR-V drive. Yes, all night - I didn’t catch much sleep.
Gloomy, dark clouds, pitter-patter, yeap... It was the perfect environment to remain in bed but unfortunately for me, I’m very excited so it wasn’t that difficult to muster up the strength to pull myself out my oh so comfortable, snuggly bed. Yeap, not difficult at all.
Teary-eyed, still in the midst of mentally waking up, I yawned my way uncontrollably along NKVE to Putrajaya’s Pullman Lakeside Hotel while frantically having a double take on the schedule and checking if I was on time. All the while eager to figure out what Honda had in store for us today.
Once the briefing was done, we then made our way to an empty airfield-like space to try out what ‘Honda Sensing’ is all about. The first thing on the agenda was to have a go at the Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) which encompasses three of the seven the Honda SENSING features that assists drivers to lessen the severity of a collision by alerting drivers through sight (warnings on dashboard), sound (beeps) and touch (vibrations of the steering wheel).
LKAS, LDW and RDM work hand in hand to assist the driver to keep within the lane and operates only between the speeds of 72km/h and 180km/h. While LKAS keeps the vehicle at the centre of the lane by reading the lane markings through a camera, LDW notifies the driver by beeping and flashing the icon on the dashboard should the driver sway out of the lane without signalling. RDM then comes in and completes the formula by vibrating the steering wheel and assisting to steer the wheel back into the lane while commencing brake assistance.
Mind blown, I was. Feeling as though I stepped into this whole other realm of cars advancements. These features enhanced my driving experience, assisting with my judgement without heavily intruding with my driving ways which was what I thought… At first (read on). We then continued trying out the remaining features namely Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Low-Speed Follow (LSF), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).
The ACC maintains a safe driving distance between you and the front vehicle between the speeds of 30km/h and 180km/h with LSF coming into play adjusting the speed and even brakes progressively in accordance to the front vehicle. Honda did it well by ensuring the brakes stop progressively instead of immediately giving time to the passengers to react to the situation thus feeling safe.
The remaining two features, FCW and CMBS again, work concurrently to alert the driver should the vehicle come too close to the front vehicle and should a circumstance that no brakes are being applied presents itself, CMBS will apply brake force progressively. Although this is a great precautionary step to lessen accidents on the road, drivers should not take this lightly and still be vigilant to not allow it to come down to being dependent on the vehicle.
Having completed the Honda Sensing exercises, it was time to test it out on our drive to Johor! This time, I have teamed up with Eu Jin from Autobuzz and Kam Foo from TopGear yet again… I guess we just can’t get enough of each other. Kam Foo had the first go behind the wheel while I was happily feeding my curiosity in the passenger’s seat by pressing every possible physical and on-screen button.
In terms of interior design, it is rather simple and nothing to shout about. In comparison, the Peugeot 3008 SUV interior wins hands down but don’t get me wrong, Honda’s isn’t too bad and pretty easy to get accustomed to. With a new generation display audio system, it now comes with a classic rotary volume knob which, to be honest, looks weird. Imagine having a smartphone with a small knob protruding out at the side. Yes… That was the exact face I did when I saw it. Though, we applaud Honda for listening to their consumers and making the necessary adjustments.
During my driving time, I found the Honda LaneWatch very handy as all I had to do was look at the display screen by rolling my eyeballs instead of turning my head. As we all know, one split second during driving makes a huge difference. The feel of the buttons on the steering wheel, however, felt difficult to press and interlinked even though it was responsive. It could be due to the material that is used to make the buttons. Perhaps a different type of plastic with better segregation could do the trick.
Giving a go at the Honda Sensing on the road, it got a tad bit annoying with the constant vibrations and pulling back of the steering wheel which tends to disrupt the handling of the car. Although, the handling feels very safe and fairly easy for an SUV as compared to the Peugeot 3008 SUV but loses out to the new Mazda CX-5. With 243Nm of torque, the acceleration does not feel immediate but gradual and in no time, the dashboard displays 180km/h.
Grabbing the opportunity to relax at the back after an hour of driving, it is evident that the extra 90mm of rear legroom makes all the difference. It is by far the most spacious SUV in its segment. Tall people, can you hear your calling? You can thank Honda for this.
As the skies were getting dark while we were stuck in rush hour traffic, outshines the LED Headlights with LED DRL and the LED taillight. Overall, the exterior looks and feels bulky. The taillights look as though it is bulging out like a woman who went a bit overboard with the eyeliner at the side of the eyes. The headlights, however, look alright. It isn’t a “WOW” but it’s a “not bad.”
Finally arriving at our destination worn out, we took our luggage from the boot space of 522 litres (1084 litres should the rear seat collapse) and headed straight for dinner and catch up on some zzzs. Being 160cm in height, I managed to adjust the height of the boot lid according to my convenience with the programmable height feature which is easily programmed with a touch of a button.
My thoughts after driving the Honda CR-V around for a couple of days…
The most spacious SUV in its segment for passengers to sit comfortably with an above average sound system though it feels a bit bulky to drive around. Not forgetting some pretty fascinating features that it has to offer.
At first go at the Honda Sensing, it felt very useful but after a couple of days, it felt as though the vehicle was controlling me instead of the other way around. It feels as though due to the many driver assist options, it deteriorates the skills of driving. I foresee drivers becoming more dependent on these features that if without them, the operation of the vehicle would be flawed… Just as us currently with smartphones on data.
On the other hand, while these systems may feel restrictive, it can also be turned off. But it does make me wonder… What if I am someone who’s terribly tired from last night’s lack of sleep yet needed to head off to Putrajaya on a misty early morning to some airfield-like place to work, and I inadvertently micro slept behind the wheel, dozing off for maybe just a few seconds along NKVE? What if I couldn’t come up to all five of my senses this morning? What if the sixth didn’t work as well?
WHAT IF.
words by BENG LIM