Well well well, if it isn’t our old friend, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MITT). Ahead of its scheduled launch later this year, images of the sixth-gen Honda CR-V has now been leaked in full courtesy of the government’s website, giving us our first clear look at the all-new SUV.

In terms of appearance, the upcoming sixth-gen Honda CR-V has adopted a sharper and – arguably – more minimalist design, with several styling elements inspired from the all-new HR-V. The front fascia now features a flatter, more upright design, characterised by the slim headlights that extend into a large, hexagonal front grille.

The top edge of the grille looks to be framed by a chrome trim underneath the bonnet shut line, with the horizontal fin-like element even bisecting the headlights itself, giving it a pretty unique appearance.

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Onward to the rear, the taillights still feature the same L-shaped design as the current-gen CR-V, but now sports a thinner light signature and a less-pronounced protrusion at the bottom corner, with the design as a whole reminding us a little of the Volvo XC60. The light signature gets broken up in the horizontal section into two L-shaped elements, which helps give it a little aggression when viewed from the back.

The entire rear fascia has also been cleaned up with fewer lines and creases, while the twin exhaust finishers at the bottom still feature the same trapezoidal shape that was first introduced in the current facelift model.

We don’t have the exact dimensions of the car just yet, but rumours and leaks previously have suggested that the upcoming all-new model will take up a larger footprint than the current CR-V.

Other details that were revealed as part of the filing include the usual Honda Sensing and Lanewatch cameras and sensors, as well as the ‘240 Turbo’ badging on the tailgate, which suggests that the all-new model will retain the same existing 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo mill – at least in China.

The ‘240’ most likely denotes the engine’s 240 Nm torque output – the same as the new VTEC Turbo-powered Honda HR-V in Indonesia – which, curiously, will be lower than the outputs of the Honda CR-V that’s currently offered here in Malaysia.

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The all-new sixth-gen Honda CR-V has also been rumoured to be offered as a hybrid model, likely borrowing the e:HEV hybrid powertrain from the Civic, with a 2.0 litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine and a pair of electric motors (one driving the wheels) to offer a total of 184 hp and 315 Nm of torque.

More information of the all-new sixth-gen Honda CR-V will likely be revealed very soon, so keep your eyes peeled as we bring you the latest info!

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines. Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, have agreed to move towards mutually recognising the COVID-19 vaccine certificates of each country. According to Deputy Health Minister Aaron Ago Dagang, this was decided during a special discussion session of the 15th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting.

The move and agreement is to facilitate safe and seamless travel in the region for citizens of member states. The Deputy Minister explained that the recognition will be based on the ASEAN Universal Verification Mechanism — led by Indonesia — or another mechanism that is based on the technical specifications of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The recognition system will also be able to support ASEAN nations that have yet to develop their own vaccine certificate verification system, said Aaron. In the meantime, Malaysia has already established mutual recognition deals with at least half of the union’s members, including Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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Outside the region, Malaysia has also formed mutual recognition partnerships with Qatar and the European Union, though some European countries require Sinovac recipients to get Pfizer boosters. Other Southeast Asian countries have not had as much luck with the EU, as the region has so far only recognised the vaccine certificates from three ASEAN members, namely Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

According to Google, demand for international travel in Southeast Asia has risen dramatically in the past few months, with the Philippines and Indonesia hitting higher search volumes than even pre-pandemic levels. With tourism contributing US$380 billion (~RM1.67 trillion) yearly to the region, ensuring smooth travel is key to reviving the industry.

Malaysia itself has already done away with pre-departure and on-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for fully vaccinated inbound travellers. Tourists also no longer require travel insurance and the outdoor mask mandate has been scrapped.

(Source: KKM/Facebook)

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