For all of Gran Turismo’s claims of realism over the years, it’s always been a little bit silly. From GT2’s “Kids’ Prize” for repeatedly failing license tests to GT5’s use of ragtime classic “The Entertainer” in GT Auto, the series has maintained a sense of humor about itself, provided you know where to look. That theme continues today with Gran Turismo 7, right up until this week with the addition of the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid and 2012 Suzuki Carry kei truck to the title’s roster of cars.
On the surface, there’s nothing overtly funny about these two inclusions. I mean, yes—one is a kei truck, which is an inherently delightful type of vehicle; while the other is one of the world’s most ubiquitous crossovers, remarkable for its mundanity compared to the rest of the GT7 stable. It’s only once you take both vehicles into the customization shop that their presence can be truly understood.
The Suzuki Carry can take on many forms in GT7. There are the standard exterior mods, like sleeker bumpers and a roof cowl. But the game also offers options for a box bed and, get this, a ramen stall. I have to be honest, I’m not exactly sure how these work—it looks too small for a server to stand inside—but it’s cool nonetheless. I expect to see these roaming the Tokyo Expressway tracks in regular traffic multiplayer lobbies in no time.
If that wasn’t silly enough, you can of course, wide-body mod most cars in GT7, and this Suzuki is no different. When you do, the game presents you with different exterior parts than you’d normally get. Rather than cargo and food-truck attachments, there are two flatbed options, and one of them adds a half-cage. That option even comes with a rather aggressive rear diffuser. Couple it with a sporty side skirt (and side-exit exhaust, if you equip the semi-racing muffler), and you’ve got one seriously mean-looking little race truck. You can even give it an angry face.
That’s the Suzuki Carry. As for the Honda CR-V, you can bolt on what is effectively a hill-climb bodykit and gigantic front and rear wings, reminiscent of the extreme aero mods that HRC gave a newer-gen CR-V back in 2023. That one-off basically incorporated an IndyCar powertrain, with Honda’s 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 mounted behind the driver and passenger, on the other side of a firewall.
Unfortunately, as aggressive as you can make your CR-V look in GT7, you can’t give it much more than the 181 horsepower it already has. For whatever reason, Polyphony Digital doesn’t tend to let players make significant powertrain changes to cars that come with CVTs stock. I don’t get it either, but it basically leaves this CR-V looking all show and no go.
The Carry starts with a paltry 47 hp from its meager 600cc three-cylinder, but at least you’re free to take that up to over 150 hp, with all possible performance mods installed. That’s plenty in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle that weighs about 1,400 pounds, but still, some kind of engine swap would be welcome. The 211-hp motorcycle engine in the Honda Project 2&4 would be a fine place to start.
Today’s GT7 Update 1.59 also includes the C5 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Ferrari 812 Superfast. I’m not big on Ferraris from the prior decade, though I am on board with the Z06. Before I give either a go, though, I’ve gotta see what my Escudo Pikes Peak-red time-attack kei truck can do at Tsukuba.
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