OVER its three generations since 1997, the Honda CR-V has been a popular choice among sport utility owners, both here and further afield. And it has sold well against its rivals despite one glaring omission, especially locally – the lack of a diesel automatic model.

So expect to see even more of the Swindon-built SUV about now that the oil-burner does come with a two-pedal option.

It’s a major part of a 2010 makeover – a fairly light one. Well, there wasn’t much that needed doing.

So, auto box apart, what distinguishes local dealers Doyle Motors’ 2.2 iDTec EX CR-V demonstrator from last year’s version of the top-selling soft-roader?

There’s a distinctive new front bumper, grille and revised rear bumper and the range-topping EX models now come with body-coloured bumpers and lower body protection.

That even-smarter exterior is complemented by improvements under the bonnet and inside, too.

Upgraded interior materials have been used, there’s a new audio console design and new detailing on the EX’s standard leather seats.

In launching the 2007 CR-V, Honda had its eyes firmly on the premium sector setting out to offer a saloon-car driving experience combined with decent load-carrying ability, generous equipment and the high driving position that makes 4x4s so popular.

I didn’t mention off-roading?

Of course not, that didn’t major in the design brief.

But some clever technology senses when the front and rear wheels are turning at different speeds – in other words when the driven front wheels start to spin – and transfers drive to the rears.

It does endow the CR-V with extra capability on snow and ice – useful last week and when towing horseboxes over wet grass.

Settling in behind the wheel is easy, thanks to the EX’s eight-way powered-adjustable driver’s seat and reach and rake-adjustable steering wheel.

A flick of the key brings to life Honda’s new 2.2-litre i-DTec diesel engine, which in 2010 guise delivers 150PS at 4,000rpm – that’s up 10PS and torque of 350 Nm at 2,000rpm (up 10Nm) on the old power unit and it’s cleaner and greener, too, with a combined fuel consumption of 38.2mpg in auto form.

The oil burner can be paired with six-speed manual transmission but of course Doyle Motors’ demonstrator showcases both the new diesel powerplant and Honda’s in-house five-speed automatic gearbox.

It’s a fine partnership that produces a much livelier drive than the petrol auto.

Performance is quite strong – with the benchmark sprint to 62mph taking a very respectable 10.6 seconds – and, as always with diesels with their strong mid-range grunt, it feels even livelier.

Honda has increased sound deadening and the new engine is also quieter and more refined than its predecessor.

Accelerate hard and you can still tell that it’s not a petrol powerplant – but then I was driving solo and listening to speech radio.

Stick a family on board – and the CR-V is family-friendly – or get some music on the premium audio system and you would never know what was under the bonnet.

Just how family friendly?

Well, there’s the split-level boot, where a removable shelf allows lighter items – up to 10kg – to be stowed separately from the luggage on the main boot floor.

That’s handy for fragile items – so you can get Tabitha’s latest creation at pre-school home in one piece – or for keeping things you might need on the journey easily accessible, saving you having to rummage through the whole boot to get your picnic.

The 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats slide independently to allow the optimum balance to be struck between rear legroom and boot space.

In five-seat mode the boot is a decidedly handy 566 litres.

With the back seats down – an easy operation – Honda sell themselves short by quoting only the 955-litre load volume to the bottom of the windows. Load it to the

roof and I reckon there are around 1,500 or 1,600

litres to play with.

The boot, of course, continues to be accessed through a conventional hatchback-type tailgate, as it has for the past three years.

But back to family-friendly.

Isofix child seat anchorages are common enough on the outer rear seats but the CR-V goes one better and offers them on all three.

And although it’s not mega-tall for an SUV – that low centre of gravity helps the car-like handling – its extra height over a normal car puts the seats at just the right height to load a toddler into or for grandma to ease herself out of.

So what’s not to like?

Well, some testers have commented on the lack of a seven-seat option – but that overlooks the fact that that feature tends to come with the 4x4s the next size up.

And that’s about it.

The handling is totally car-like, with the bonus of the commanding view ahead that only SUVs and MPVs offer.

Body roll is totally contained – at the cost of some nit-pickers finding the ride a bit firm over small road irregularities. I didn’t and doubt that many readers will.

Size isn’t an issue, either.

When the Mark Three CR-V came out it did look pretty hefty but that was more impression than reality. The width increase was modest and length decreased thanks to the spare wheel migrating from the swing-out tailgate to under the boot floor: it is a spacesaver now, but anything beats a repair spray.

Anyone moving up from a family hatch will find the CR-V a doddle and to put any width worries in perspective, the Honda is just over four inches wider across the mirror tips than a Fiesta. Its mirrors powerfold rapidly when it comes to close quarters passing, which helps, too, although I never needed to bring them in.

But the chances are that what anyone migrating from a normal hatchback will notice most is a quantum leap forward in quality.

Build quality is excellent, as you would expect from a vehicle independently rated the most reliable in its class.

And there is an air of sophistication about the CR-V.

There’s the multi-function steering wheel that also governs cruise control, telephone, entertainment and satnav functions; and there’s dual zone climate control, the high mounted gearshift and nifty quadrant handbrake.

But one of the neatest touches on the EX is the infotainment-cum-satnav screen that doubles as a large display for the reversing camera.

Press a button and the screen swings out to reveal slots for satnav DVD, CD and PC card.

To keep the CR-V’s curves pristine, as well as the reversing camera there are also parking sensors fore and aft which both emit warning beeps and display a warning indicator in the trip computer display that sits between the major dials.

A real belt and braces job.

But for all the standard specification, there are still a few option packs with which to gild it.

The premium pack offers elegant floor carpets, stainless steel doorstep garnishes, body coloured door protectors and a protective boot tray.

An entertainment pack allows rear passengers to watch DVDs, play CDs and listen to audio files.

The towing pack is self-explanatory and makes the most of the standard trailer assist that uses the vehicle stability system to control individual wheel slip to rein-in trailer swing.

Two active vehicle safety systems continue to be available on the CR-V and are unique in the SUV segment.

Adaptive Cruise Control is a radar-controlled cruise control function which maintains a set distance to the vehicle in front; Collision Mitigation Braking System (predicts collisions and warns the driver, before applying braking and retracting the front seat belts if the situation becomes critical. Both are optional on EX models.

But even unenhanced, the CR-V continues to offer across the range generous equipment levels for the price.

And in case you didn’t get the message, it could not be more car-like to drive – just check out that turning circle.