Automotive World

The new CR-V, which we first saw at the Los Angeles Auto Show earlier this month, will be offered in Japan in two flavors, the 20G and the 24G.

Today, we found two first test drive videos of the 2012 Honda CR-V from Motor Trend magazine and Consumer Reports, both of which, more or less state the same: that the crossover model has been refined in an evolutionary manner building on the qualities of its predecessor.

You can watch both tests along with Honda's first web-commercial on the new CR-V right after the break.

And since all three crossovers will compete against each other not only in North America, but around the world as well, we thought it would be good idea to run a poll to determine which is the best looking model. We'll brief you on all three before we give you the chance to cast your vote.

We'll start of alphabetically with the 2013 Ford Escape that will be marketed as the Kuga in other regions, including Europe and China. The 2013 Escape marks a radical departure from the outgoing model not only in looks, but under the hood as well with Ford offering two small displacement turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engines with up to 237HP, alongside a conventional, naturally aspirated 2.5L four-pot.

More than an evolution of the outgoing model than a revolution of the crossover theme, the new CR-V has been softly redesigned inside and out while it also sports a slightly more powerful and frugal version of Honda's 2.4-liter i-VTEC that produces 185-ponies and returns up to 31mpg (highway, FWD).

In this post, we bring you a new batch of photos from the L.A. Auto Show floors as well as three new official videos including the first driving footage and on a much less interesting note, a clip that shows several "Mommy Bloggers" and one "Daddy Blogger" talking about their experience driving Honda's new SUV – we know; you can't hide your excitement…

Honda had prepared us for the new CR-V's evolutionary looks through a thinly disguised concept model that was displayed at the Orange County International Auto Show in California in late September.

The transition from concept to production reality didn't bring many changes other than a less aggressive choice of wheels, a matte instead of a glossy finish for the plastic cladding on the body, and clear graphics on the headlamps and tail lamps.

The new 2012 CR-V looks sleeker than its predecessor and has a more aggressive stance thanks in part to the new roofline and the Volvo-esque rear end design.

At 178.5-in. long, 71.6-in. wide and 65.1-in. tall with a 103.1-in. wheelbase, the new model retains the same width and wheelbase measurements with the previous CR-V, but is 0.8-in. shorter in overall length and 1-in. in height.

Apparently, Honda managed to overcome the problem as the Japanese carmaker announced on Monday that mass production of its new crossover model in the States would begin on Tuesday, November 29 at the firm's East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio.

And is the case with Toyota, the production cuts for Honda come just as the company was recovering from the effects of the March earthquake and tsunami.

Honda said that as the flooding in Thailand continues, a number of its suppliers in Asia are currently unable to maintain parts production to its assembly plants in the U.S. and Canada.

Not surprisingly, the styling changes over the concept CR-V we saw this summer are restricted to the matte finish of the plastic cladding on the body, the smaller wheels and the clear graphics on the headlamps and tail lamps.

Honda has previously said that its new SUV will be "more sophisticated and dynamic" than its predecessor while also offering improved interior space and versatility as well as a suit of new technologies.