zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Trucks
/
Looks Like The 2015 Honda CR-V's AWD System Doesn't Work At All
Looks Like The 2015 Honda CR-V's AWD System Doesn't Work At All-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:23

The automotive myth-busters and "moose test" inventing Swedes at set up a little climb for the to see how it'd move out with no traction on the drive wheels. It failed miserably.

TV's evaluators say they tested last year's CR-V in the same way; putting the vehicle on a slight incline with the front wheels on rollers. When they tried to drive forward, the AWD system would supposedly redirect power from slipping wheels to ones with traction (rear, in this case) and let the car proceed.

When it didn't work on the 2014 model, they say Honda promised a "reprogram" that rectified the problem. As we can see in this demonstration, said reprogram appears to have been unsuccessful– it doesn't look like the "SUV" is putting any power at all to the rear wheels.

My thinking was that the car might be interpreting the rollers as a road; making the AWD setup think the car is moving normally under 2WD power. But then I realized that doesn't make much sense; the simulation we're seeing here is the same as what'd happen if you were trying to drive up an icy hill from a stop.

didn't seem to have any trouble with the 2015 CR-V in their recent evaluation. Hell, they pretty much fell in love with the thing. So what gives with the vehicle's performance here?

The Honda AWD system uses a compact, lightweight and fuel-efficient rear differential. The design requires a certain torque limitation for the device to be able to work effectively in real conditions, but at the same time, it must not exceed the total capacity of the AWD drive.

In real conditions, regardless of the surface, there is a certain amount of friction always available for both front and rear wheels. The AWD system benefits therefore torque between front and rear wheels in order to achieve optimal driving force.

In the roll test non-existent grip is simulated in the front and maximum grip at the rear.

If all the available torque required to move the vehicle forward would be transferred to the rear differential then the limit for the torque of the unit would be exceeded.

If the vehicle continues to run in this state (the front wheels spinning and the rear wheels standing still) the system senses the high speed variation and that the differential clutch slips and reduces the available torque to the rear wheels to prevent overheating. That is why the vehicle moves backward in the video.

In real conditions a scenario like the roll test with such a high difference in grip between the front and the rear wheels is highly unlikely.

In other words Honda does not see that the roll test fairly highlights CR-V's AWD performance. Teknikens Värld has done a winter test where CR-V was tested on icy roads, as well as steep paths such as a ski slope.

Honda believes that these tests in real environments should be enough to show that the CR-V is a great winter car and would like to stress that there are no known customer complaints on the CR-V's traction from the Swedish market or in other markets with similar conditions.

On Teknikens Värld's question whether the update is made, we can with measuring instruments upon request show that for both customers and media.

Since it is important for Honda that customers feel safe and have confidence in ourselves we did an update of the software of all CR-Vs for the Swedish market.

CR-V customers were able to get the software, free of charge, updated at our dealers from April 15 and in production from July 8 in 2013.

Honda CR-V is a global car and has sold over 5 million copies. It is the world's best-selling SUV* and the sales in Europe is growing steadily, 6 percent in comparison with last year. The CR-V therefore has many satisfied customers around the world.

Maria Johansson, head of communications

Sure, the Swede's test is an extreme differential of grip... but I don't think it's that unrealistic to imagine a similar situation happening on an icy hill; where the rear wheels are on solid ground but the fronts are stuck on slippery stuff.

What do you winter drivers think?

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Trucks
The Nissan Navara Was The Overdue Frontier We Deserved A Decade Ago
The Nissan Navara Was The Overdue Frontier We Deserved A Decade Ago
gets dunked on for letting models like the languish for years. But, the truck saw a model update well before the release of the , which is mechanically much like an with a design. Outside of the U.S., the successor to the second-generation Frontier came in 2014 with the...
Jul 13, 2025
Ford Robbed Us Of The Old Four-Door Ranger To Give Us The Explorer Sport Trac
Ford Robbed Us Of The Old Four-Door Ranger To Give Us The Explorer Sport Trac
By definition, a big truck like a or struggles to be small. Even in its smallest, most trucky configuration — a two-door single cab — a full-size truck is relatively large and comes with a sizable bed for hauling cargo. But a small truck like the third-generation can do...
Jul 13, 2025
Porsche Built A 911 With Portal Axles To Go Where Unimogs Can't Reach
Porsche Built A 911 With Portal Axles To Go Where Unimogs Can't Reach
No car has ever driven at higher altitude than this 992-generation Porsche 911 Carrera 4S with portal axles. On Saturday the Porsche crew, led by racing driver Romain Dumas, reached the highest peak of the west ridge of the Ojos del Salado volcano in Chile, . That’s the tallest...
Jul 13, 2025
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Is The Hybrid Truck America Probably Needs
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Is The Hybrid Truck America Probably Needs
In addition to the all-electric , the truck brand announced this week that it will also release a engine gasoline-powered hybrid version of its electric pickup, called Ramcharger. The goal here is to use the V6 engine as a generator for the electric powertrain when the 92 kWh battery...
Jul 13, 2025
There Was Once A Glorious Compact Chevy ZR2 Truck
There Was Once A Glorious Compact Chevy ZR2 Truck
Those who saw the meteoric rise of through the 2010s and onward probably associate the badge with the . The was Chevy’s halo midsize truck when it was released in 2016, but the ZR2 badging goes all the way to the when Chevy made the S-10 ZR2. It’s gnarly....
Jul 13, 2025
Deer Flies Directly Into Pickup As Its Prospective Buyer Arrives
Deer Flies Directly Into Pickup As Its Prospective Buyer Arrives
No square inch of the Northeast is safe from deer, as video out of New Jersey shows. A deer, tearing through the suburbs, managed to leap over a Pontiac Vibe and Honda CR-V before landing on the bedside of a 2007 Chevy Silverado — just as a prospective buyer arrived...
Jul 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved