Honda has been operating in Swindon for 33 years. They first came to the town in 1985 and in 1992 actually began making cars here.

Since then they have built more than one million of them here, which have been dispatched to the four corners of the globe. I’m proud to say I’m one in a million because I drive a Honda car, which was built in Swindon, and is one of the the best cars I’ve had in 40 years of driving.

It is a seven-year-old 4x4 CR-V, which I first got it when it was six months old, and has been totally reliable, laughs at snow and it is unlikely I will ever let it go, even though the Government is trying to force we diesel drivers under ground.

It is the second CR-V model, the third version has just about run out of production and the new one – number four in the line will be with us in the autumn.

Sadly or not, dependent on your point of view, the new CR-V will be built in Japan because they are too busy in Swindon dispatching around 700 Civics a day to both the USA and the rest of Europe to run another line.

But what happens when the Civic starts to run down, Honda have yet to tell us. But the factory at South Marston in Swindon provides work for 4,000 people so it is important.

But the Civic is doing well and is one of the best small saloons around on either side of the Atlantic.

So I thought I’d better have a last look at the CR-V Mk Three before Mk Four joins the family. The model I chose was the Special Edition, which is based on S Navi grade and is available in both 2.0 petrol and 1.6 diesel engine. I went for the diesel version.

It was pretty good and a great ride with 50 miles to the gallon on the fuel stakes. My only reservation was that the special edition only came in two-wheel drive and when I was caught in that bit of winter in Devon last week I was a tad nervous. But no need. It wasn’t the real savage stuff and the CR-V sailed along no bother. The real stuff would have been eaten alive by the 4x4.

The special edition has bags of extras and on top of the standard features, the S Plus has a dynamic and stylish appearance with body coloured front and rear aero bumpers, tailgate spoiler and stylish running boards, giving the S Plus a sporty but yet mature look.

Both mature and confident are appropriate words for the CR-V and you zoom through lanes or on motorways with ease.

As well a touch up on the body the new S Plus model includes the following as standard; climate control dual auto A/C, cruise control, Bluetooth hands free telephone system, reversing camera, city brake active system and Honda’s Connect in-car audio and information system with Garmin navigation. There is only a manual transmission.

There are four attractive colours and the S Plus petrol model is priced at £23,500, with the diesel model coming in at £24,500.

Both prices include a saving offer of £3,000. There is a PCP monthly price plan for petrol is 36 instalments of £299 and £309 for diesel.

When it’s finally run down the CR-V Mark Three will be remembered fondly.

But coming this way is Honda’s first ever electrified SUV powertrain available in Europe. The Hybrid Prototype also features revised styling that previews the forthcoming European specification CR-V model range.

The model will retain the familiar silhouette of the world’s best-selling SUV, with an evolutionary design that is both sophisticated and sporty. Wider, taller and longer than the previous version, the Hybrid Prototype of the new CR-V has fresh exterior styling, with a wider stance through the broader, muscular wheel arches.

The two-motor i-MMD (Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive) system in the CR-V Hybrid Prototype comprises an electric propulsion motor, a 2.0-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder Atkinson cycle gasoline engine for electrical energy generation and propulsion, and a separate electric generator motor.

The hybrid system does not need a conventional transmission, fitted instead with a single fixed-gear ratio that creates a direct connection between moving components, enabling a smooth transfer of torque within the system.

The i-MMD system determines how to use fuel and electrical energy in the most efficient way, meaning there is no requirement on the driver to adjust between the three driving modes; EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive.

In EV Drive, the propulsion motor draws its power solely from the batteries, delivering zero-emissions driving. In Hybrid Drive, the gasoline engine supplies power to the electric generator motor, which in turn delivers power to the electric propulsion motor.

The 2018 CR-V will also be specified with Honda’s 1.5 litre VTEC TURBO petrol engine, with a choice of either 6-speed manual or continuously variable ‘CVT’ transmission. There is no diesel engine on the new CR-V in European markets.

The new SUV will be officially launched in European markets in 2018.