2026 Honda CR-V toughens up

Honda has updated its CR-V medium SUV in North America and taken the opportunity to add a new rugged variant aimed at making life difficult for the Subaru Forester Wilderness.

Due in stateside showrooms in autumn next year, the 2026 Honda CR-V Trailsport is designed to take customers further off the beaten track and into nature, combining a hybrid powertrain with all-terrain tyres for an eco-friendly experience.

The new rubber is wrapped around a set of unique 18-inch alloys and complemented by a more rugged front fascia with a silver skid garnish, piano black rear spoiler, black door handles and window surrounds, and orange ‘Trailsport’ badges at both ends.

That same badging can be found embossed on the front seat headrests and on the standard all-season rubber floor mats, but that’s about a far as the rugged appointments go inside the cabin – the rest of the equipment list is headlined by ambient lighting, leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, moonroof and a powered tailgate.

As for the other variants, all grades have been treated to a new enlarged 9.0-inch infotainment system offering wireless smartphone projection and a wireless phone charger, while the mid-range versions and above score a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, leaving the all-wheel drives to nab an enhanced traction management system.

No changes have been made to the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine or the dual-motor e:HEV hybrid set-up, nor any of the suspension components.

Honda Australia have a strict policy of not discussing future product plans so it’s unclear if the Trailsport or an equivalent will be headed Down Under, but it would be safe to assume the technology update will be rolled out locally sometime next year seeing as our CR-Vs are sourced from Japan as opposed to North America.

Expect some mild price increases to match.

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