Honda

摘要

The USA's best-selling SUV is now in its fourth generation. For the new car, Honda has abandoned its one-size-fits-all approach in favor of tailored versions for North America and Europe. When the first Honda CR-V appeared back in 1995 it was a 'soft-roader' pioneer, helping to define a segment that has since moved from niche to mainstream. With pretty much every major manufacturer now competing in this compact-SUV sector, Honda faces its toughest challenge yet in building on the five million CR-V sales it has notched-up to date. The CR-V is sold in more than 160 countries and built in seven of them, but in development terms the latest, fourth-generation car came down to two key versions. With the USA as the car's biggest market, the North American variant - also sold everywhere but Europe - took the lead. Around 80% of that car was carried across into a dedicated European version, where market conditions dictate that the SUV is sold with more equipment, different chassis settings, and a higher price. The move to increased differentiation represents a return to the philosophy behind the second-generation CR-V, as deputy development leader, Akihiko Mori explains.