Honda has added a new entry-level variant to its CR-V SUV range, which takes the starting retail price below $30,000.

The Honda CR-V Vi is priced at $28,290, undercutting the VTi by $1400, with most of the cost cutting achieved by introducing a more basic infotainment system with a smaller 5.0-inch screen (down from 7.0 inches) without Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto smartphone pairing.

Honda CR V rear

Other than that’s it’s reasonably equipped for a base variant, with standard features including:

  • 17-inch Alloy Wheels
  • LED Daytime running lights
  • LED Tail lights
  • Reversing camera
  • Full-size spare alloy wheel
  • Electric parking brake with Brake Hold
  • Tyre pressure monitoring
  • Hill Start Assist (HAS)
  • Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)
Honda CR V side
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The five-seat Vi shares the same 140kW/240Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and CVT auto powertrain as the rest of the CR-V range, with two-wheel-drive. It also shares their five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

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Honda Australia director, Stephen Collins said the company is meeting the demand for a more attainable CR-V for budget-conscious families.

“Our customers were telling us they’d like to a see a CR-V for around $30k, so we’ve been able to deliver a great option in the new Vi grade,” he said.

“The CR-V Vi grade competes strongly on value and specification against other entry-level Medium SUVs, we’ve priced it under the automatic Mazda CX5 Maxx and Toyota RAV4 GX, which is great news for buyers.”

The Honda CR-V Vi officially goes on sale on September 1. Pricing for the rest of the range remains unchanged.

Honda CR V front
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2018 Honda CR-V pricing

  • CR-V Vi 2WD – $28,290
  • CR-V VTi 2WD – $30,690
  • CR-V VTi-S – 2WD – $33,290
  • CR-V VTi-S – AWD – $35,480
  • CR-V VTi-L 7-seater, 2WD – $38,990
  • CR-V VTi-LX, AWD – $44,290