THE medium SUV segment has come a long way over the past 20 years. Now packed to the rafters with a broad range of options from a diverse range of brands, the segment is now the most popular in the country, with 143,838 sales this year to the end of October.

While the majority of brands now offer a small SUV, only a handful can claim to be stalwarts of the segment. Models like the Subaru Forester and Nissan X-Trail may come to mind, however Honda’s venerable CR-V also belongs on that list. 

First brought to Australia in 1997, the CR-V is now in its fifth generation, and has been treated to a mid-life update to keep it fresh in an increasingly competitive segment. 

So how does the CR-V stack up in a market filled with competent rivals?