The compact S.U.V. class looks set for some serious competition over the coming 12 months when a completely redesigned Honda CR-V will continue to sell against Toyota’s RAV4 and Volkswagen’s Tiguan. Plus Mazda‘s CX-5, which is expected to be very similar to Minagi and packed with the first comprehensive SkyActiv efficiency technologies, will join the ranks. Honda is the runaway leader in the segment and this update is a clear signal of its intention to stay there. The “Walter Mitty” lives we all lead is exemplified by the compact S.U.V. segment, where more than 95 percent of the vehicles sold never venture offroad.

The new Honda CR-V concept will be the fourth-generation of CR-V is set to go on sale in the United States by the end of 2011, and in Europe in Autumn 2012. There’s possibly not a single part number that will remain the same, yet many journalists see it as a mild [...]