Head on, the Honda CR-V's low, jutting jaw-like front bumper suggests a rugged skid plate while pulling the vehicle's visual mass downwards, reducing its perceived height. Large, sharply angled headlight housings crowd the upper grille and bleed down into the lower air intake. Stout fender flares stretch out to wrap tightly around the tires, giving the new CR-V a sturdy, planted stance.

The side aspect shows most clearly the latest Honda CR-V's departure from the boxy, mini-SUV look. Starting from the gently rounded hood, the relatively fast windshield flows into a roofline that drops ever so slightly as it passes over the sharply tapered glasshouse, ending at the tailgate's top edge, which itself is pulled forward to a point almost directly above the rear wheel well. A strong character line runs from the top of the front wheel well back beneath the full-round door handles to bifurcate the side marker lens of the rear taillight. To us, it looks a little like the in the overall outline.

The rear view presents more of the classic SUV look, with a trapezoidal backlight bookended by the trademark Honda CR-V high taillights and atop a fairly tall and relatively broad, high-relief tailgate panel. The oversize license plate recess will accommodate almost any country's registration telltale. A repeat of the front end's skid plate look masks the rear bumper's mass and draws the eye to tires pushed out to the edges of the CR-V's side panels.