Youth or experience?

DOES THE BIGGER AND BOX-FRESH HONDA CR-V HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO TOPPLE THREE VETERANS OF THE LARGE SUV SEGMENT? LET'S FIND OUT

- ALEX INWOOD

ONE OF THE particular cruelties of getting older is the sudden ability to identify youthfulness in other people. It doesn't creep up on you, this special power, but it appears suddenly - like an extra toilet stop in the night or a pair of white New Balance trainers - and its arrival can deliver quite a shock. This is exactly how our group of assembled SUVS must be feeling as they watch the 2024 Honda CR-V roll into our designated meeting place.

Now in its fifth generation, the 2024 Honda CR-V is box fresh and doesn't only roll on a new platform and boast a roomier, more premium-feeling cabin - so big, in fact, that the CR-V is officially classed as a large SUV - it looks sharper than its predecessors, too.

While the CR-V is also more expensive than ever (prices have crept north by as much as $8600 in some variants), it still stacks up remarkably well against its large SUV competitors for value. As such, we were able to select a top-spec VTi LX AWD variant for this sub-$60K test, meaning it rolls on 19-inch alloys and benefits from matte-black exterior detailing.

The oldest of our quartet, and therefore the most likely to be self conscious, is the Hyundai Santa Fe. Assembled here in second-from-base Active guise, it carries a drive-away price of $58,710. This fourth-generation Santa Fe first appeared back in early 2018 and an all-new generation Santa Fe - which is bigger, boxier and looks radically more futuristic - has already been revealed, slated to arrive before the end of 2024.

Despite its age, we've long praised the Santa Fe's impressive cabin space, roomy third row and tidy handling. Plus, our test vehicle has a key point of difference to the other contenders: it's a turbo diesel. Hyundai's gutsy 2.2-litre oiler, which makes 148kW/440Nm, is lurking under the bonnet, so if effortless propulsion and lower fuel bills are your priorities, the Santa Fe could cause an upset.