Charles Darwin once proposed that man and ape originated from a common ancestor.  His so-called ‘Theory of Evolution’ was, at best, accepted with skepticism and ridicule.  And yet, a hundred years or so later, it has become the universally accepted principle of development.  Computer programmers may call it ‘Moore’s Law’ and Ralph Lauren may dub it as ‘fashion’, but in any case, the underlying principle is the same.  Development takes on small increments—taking each step carefully as not to jolt the norm.  In fact, any sudden giant leap ends up as a huge risk, financial or otherwise, and may eventually lead to extinction.

The same can be said about the automobile.  In the almost 120 years of its existence, it has managed to remain mechanically the same: an internal combustion engine connected to a drive shaft driving four wheels.  So whether it is a sports car, pick-up or family saloon—development is fairly cosmetic with just a few improvements to the same mechanical ingredients.  Sometimes though, a milestone comes along.  It may not be a huge leap forward, but this glimpse of eureka is enough to redevelop an entire industry.  In the case of the first-generation Honda CR-V, it has managed to bring the concept of the compact SUV to the masses.  No longer was the ride bone-jarring and the driving experience awful.  It presented itself as a raised sedan-based wagon—perfect for families who needed the practicality and space without the image of driving around in hearses.

Be that as it may, after this gigantic leap, Honda engineers then took minuscule steps, albeit in the right direction.  The CR-V got a horsepower hike, a more responsive transmission and better specifications—but it still managed to carry on the same basic recipe.  Competitors soon followed in the CR-V’s mold, and Honda soon came out with their second-generation compact SUV.  As Darwinian Theory suggested, this was a mere careful evolution of the first.  Honda maintained the same raised sedan-based wagon formula with slight improvements to the underpinnings and specifications.  The body was new, but the look was from the old.  The platform was radical, but still based on a sedan.  The engine may now have an aluminum block and variable-valve timing, but it’s still a four-banger with two liters of displacement.  Save for the ‘ten-cheater’ version, the CR-V remained an unimaginative, safe choice—if you needed the practicality without the looks.  And people didn’t care: they liked it, fell in love with it and bought it.

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