The CR-V occupies a useful gap.

It is an SUV, so it sits high enough for Nigerian roads and swallows what a family needs. It is not a seven-seater, so it does not cost what a seven-seater costs to buy, fuel or maintain.

For a great many buyers that is the correct answer. The reason they end up in a bigger vehicle is usually that nobody asked them how often they genuinely carry six people.

1,498 cc, 193 PS

The Chinese-market CR-V runs a 1.5 litre turbo producing 193 PS, with consumption of 6.6 litres per 100 km.

That is a small engine in a mid-size SUV, and it works because of the turbocharger.

What you notice day to day is not the power figure but the consumption. 6.6 L/100km in a vehicle this shape is genuinely economical, and across a year of Lagos or Ibadan traffic it is a meaningful sum rather than a rounding error.

Below the line with room to spare

The green tax surcharge that started on 1 July 2026 applies from 2,000 cc. Two per cent up to 3,999 and four per cent from 4,000. Below 2,000, nothing.

At 1,498 cc the CR-V is not marginally under the threshold. It is comfortably clear of it.

Together with the levy cut on used vehicles from 15 per cent to 5 in the same reform, the arithmetic on this car improved noticeably in July. Full duty breakdown here.

The 2018 recall

There is a recall on the 2018 cars you should not skip, and it is straightforward to check against a specific VIN before money moves.

We do that on every candidate and report status back alongside the VIN, the mileage and the service record.

This is the clearest single difference between sourcing a car to order and buying one off a lot, where the history behind the vehicle is whatever the seller chooses to tell you on the day.

Specification

Body	Five-door compact SUV, five seats
Engine	1,498 cc turbocharged petrol four
Output	193 PS
Fuel economy	6.6 litres per 100 km
Green tax	None. Well below the 2,000 cc threshold.
Steering	Left hand drive as built
Recall	2018 cars. Checked against VIN before purchase.
Age rule	Twelve years from manufacture, so 2014 is the oldest for a 2026 import
Minimum order	One unit
Lead time	Six to eight weeks quay to quay, plus one to two weeks pre-shipment

Where it sits against the alternatives

Against the Highlander, you are trading seven seats and 350 N.m for lower running costs. If you genuinely need the third row, take it. If you need it twice a year, you are paying for it the other fifty weeks.

Against the Accord, same manufacturer and same engine family in a different body. The Accord is better on fuel and better to drive. The CR-V gives you ground clearance and a boot that swallows things, which on Nigerian roads is not a small consideration.

Against the German compact SUVs, the Q5L and the X3 are also under the threshold and both cost considerably more to keep on the road. The CR-V wins on running cost and parts availability by a wide margin, and loses on badge, which is a decision only you can make.

Full detail on the CR-V product page.

Tell us the year and the budget

How new it needs to be, whether you want two or four wheel drive, and roughly your budget. We will find units that match, send the VIN, mileage, service record and recall status on each, and tell you what the vehicle costs delivered in naira with every line itemised.

Ask on WhatsApp.