It wasn’t the improved interior trim, added equipment or the moderate revisions in styling that made us give the new CR-V a place on the evo-me pages. It was the revisions to the suspension geometry and dampers, which are meant to step up refinement and comfort levels, while retaining the same standards of handling and grip.

In truth, it’s the latter that should’ve received more attention, since the previous model year CR-V never had any real issues with the former. There are now higher quality interior panels, new-look centre console with USB interface, added dampening and new seals. None of which do much to conceal the struggling motor ahead.

It’s not that it’s heartless (there’s enough grunt to keep you mildly entertained); it’s just that its peaky 5800rpm character makes you whince in mechanical sympathy when you want to get your precious passengers safely past the slow cement truck. It’s on the harsh side and hard to ignore.

In town is where the tweaks are most effective. The CR-V is unfussy over nasty ruts and bumps, and the mechanical thud you’d usually hear going over them doesn’t appear, so you can turn your attention to cabin conversation instead of on avoiding road imperfections. Or on driving itself. Steering is direct, and the wheel itself is of just the right size and thickness, but all of that’s forgotten once you’ve wound on more than 45 degrees of lock. The body tips all too easily on the outside front and it feels as if the scrubbing tyre is about to come off the new 10-spoke 17in alloys, making you think twice about leaning on the suspension. It’s only when you get out that the disappointment loosens as you catch sight of the refreshed exterior styling.

Begrudgingly, the CR-V remains more about a comfortable lifestyle than life behind the wheel.