Special test Honda CR-V: Geneva>Chillon Castle (I)

We start up our Honda CR-V and hit the road on a special test we have carried out in Switzerland and France, or more precisely, in the Alps at the foot of Mont Blanc. For now we are not going to venture (too far) into the snow or high mountains, and we start with a route along the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman).

For those of you who visit that area of Switzerland, the French side of the lake is worth seeing, that is, touring towns such as Yvoire, Thonon-les-Bains, Évian (a town known for its water) and other picturesque places near the lake. Today’s route will end in Veytaux (Switzerland), with views of Chillon Castle on the lakeside.

Geneva > Chillon Castle (Veytaux, Switzerland) (90.2 km)

We start with a short drive between Geneva and Chillon Castle, also in Switzerland, even though we will spend more time on French territory than Swiss. In theory it would take us around two hours to reach the castle, but if we take our time visiting the different towns and so on, half a day will be needed.

We set off from Geneva, a city that is chaotic to drive in. A colleague with many years of experience in the motoring world always told me that “the Swiss hate cars”. I wouldn’t go that far, but the city of Geneva is certainly difficult to get around.

Priority goes to urban transport, from buses to modern trams, which run through the middle of the streets with plenty of room, while drivers have less space to drive and are more crowded together.

One of the most beautiful areas of Geneva is the lakeside, which is also much calmer than the city centre. Another attraction of the city is the old town, where you can stroll peacefully and enjoy the surroundings.

We continue our route to Yvoire, a medieval village on the lakeshore, completely walled and still preserving its castle, which dates from the 14th century but was destroyed in an armed conflict with the Counts of Savoy and later rebuilt. Where the castle orchard once stood there is now a garden well worth visiting (Jardin des Cinq Sens).

Besides getting lost in the traditional, charming streets dominated by wood and stone, it is also worth going to the harbour area (which has an important marina). Finally, in summer the village of Yvoire becomes even more picturesque thanks to the flowers in its streets; indeed, it has been awarded four stars several times in the “Concours des villes et villages fleuris” (a competition that rewards the towns and villages with the most flowers).

We leave this medieval village and continue towards Évian-les-Bains, and the day is kind to us: although it is still winter, the sun accompanies us the whole way. After passing several shopping centres and industrial estates (which are so common on the outskirts of towns in France), we follow a road running alongside the lake.

On arriving at Évian we find a lovely town where water is the star, this spa town is very well known for the mineral water obtained from the Alps and sold throughout France. The town is beautiful and at the same time luxurious; it has a casino, and the road running along the lakeshore has important buildings with striking, imposing architecture.

Shortly afterwards we cross into Switzerland and come across a picturesque spot on the way to Chillon Castle. It seemed the ideal place for Heidi and her grandfather to live, and the access road to the village was particularly difficult (in snow it must be extremely dangerous). We are talking about the Vouvry area in Switzerland (more specifically Miex and Chavalon).

Following the trail to a thermal power station visible from the valley, high up on the mountain, we reached this picturesque place with wooden houses, snow and forest (and it is probably an area that few people can afford; we passed one of its residents at the wheel of a Renault Clio RS, the perfect choice, and he surely had a lot of fun going to and from his home).

After an entertaining mountain road full of bends, the area was very beautiful. We also took advantage of a snowy road leading to several homes to put the Honda CR-V to the test on snow. Shortly afterwards we left Miex and Chavalon (Vouvry, Switzerland) and continued just 10 km to Chillon Castle.

The castle is an important tourist attraction and sits in a strategic position, important since antiquity (there are remains from the Bronze Age). It is built on an oval limestone rock and, from Europe, the area where it stands is the gateway to Italy.

The oldest part of the building (which housed the Counts of Savoy within its walls and later expanded it) is Gothic in style and dates from the 13th century. The castle is a monument of national interest in Switzerland and for centuries attracted writers such as Victor Hugo and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The official website offers all kinds of information on rates, opening times and more (Official website).

Driving impressions

Before setting off in the Honda CR-V we are struck by its spacious interior; it feels like we are in an MPV, with many compartments, a high driving position, good visibility and, above all, space. We have this feeling both in the front and rear seats. To that we can add a second glovebox (small but practical), and the gear lever is in a high position, very practical.

Under the bonnet the Honda CR-V has a 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 150 CV, an old acquaintance within the Honda range, and in terms of performance it is more than enough to move this crossover. After starting the engine and setting off, the first thing we notice is smoothness; for a four-cylinder engine it has nothing to envy from a V6 in smoothness; it is very calm and has a long first gear, ideal for off-road areas.

The suspension is soft-tuned, favouring comfort, and this costs it in agility and effectiveness on more demanding terrain or winding roads, which is normal since this is not a sports car but an SUV.

On the road we found the interior comfort more than adequate; it is a good car for covering distance, thanks to the interior space and comfort on long journeys. Fuel consumption on the road settled at around 6.3 litres per 100 km, a fairly reasonable figure for a vehicle of this type.

In Miex (Switzerland), on a completely snow-covered track we briefly tested the CR-V’s traction system, which is fully automatic. Normally it works as a 4×2 until it detects some loss of grip at the front wheels, then sends power to the rear. Despite having summer tyres, the car behaved very well and got traction in some tricky areas.

Without a doubt, the most outstanding thing is the car’s control on snowy roads, as we always had it under control. We had to descend several roads with a good layer of snow, and we had no trouble keeping the CR-V on line.

On the next stage we will head towards Mont Blanc, in the town of Chamonix, a good route to test the CR-V’s abilities in snow.

Photos | David Taboada and the Highmotor test team