Car Of The Day: June 22, 2012

Today's car of the day comes from Dean-O-mite's collection and is Tomica's 2002 Honda CR-V.

The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV (now called crossover in North America), manufactured since 1995 by Honda. It was loosely derived from the Honda Civic to satisfy a public demand for a sport-utility vehicle from Honda. There are discrepancies as to what "CR-V" stands for, Honda sales literature in UK reportedly made references to "Compact Recreational Vehicle", other Honda references (including the official Honda Japan CR-V Fact Book and Honda Worldwide) cite "Comfortable Runabout Vehicle". It is produced in both four-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, with availability differing by market.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Honda CR-V

This is the kind of casting that has made Tomica one of the most charming diecast companies in the world: a basic transportation vehicle, which would be a common sight on streets throughout the world. No other model maker has made a CR-V in small-scale, while Tomica has covered the first generation (as a motorized Tomica), this second gen., and the new, fourth generation is scheduled to appear in the Tomica line-up later this year.

The bigger and heavier second generation CR-V was a full redesign, based on the seventh generation Civic, and powered by the K24A1 engine. North American versions of the new engine produced 160 hp and 162 lb ft of torque. Per new SAE regulations, the same engine is now rated at 156 hp and 160 lb ft. Despite the power increase, the new CR-V retained the fuel economy of the previous model, thanks in part to the engine's i-VTEC system. The newly developed chassis had increased torsional and bending rigidity, while the new suspension possessed front toe control link MacPherson struts and a rear reactive-link double wishbone; the compact rear suspension increased cargo space to 72 cu ft. The second generation CR-V was Car and Driver magazine's Best Small SUV for 2002 and 2003.

Changes between model years 2002, 2003, and 2004 were very minor. The success of the CR-V prompted Honda to introduce an entry-level SUV, the Element.