New Honda CR-V officially revealed
Bigger sixth-generation mid-size SUV to bring more tech, safety and hybrid powertrain Down Under in 2023The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V has been revealed in the US, after being teased, leaked rendered and spied over the past 18 months or so.
Confirmed for Australian release next year, when the all-new Honda ZR-V will bring to three the number of SUVs in the Japanese brand’s Australian range, the sixth-generation Honda CR-V brings a more subtle new look, bigger body and the choice of both petrol and hybrid power for the first time.
The new mid-size SUV goes on sale in North America within months and will be followed later this year by a two-motor petrol-electric powertrain option that’s more advanced and more powerful than the outgoing hybrid powertrain (not available in Australia).
It will be sold alongside a familiar 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and is expected to account for half of all US sales.
A replacement for the seven-seat option currently available here is yet to be confirmed but is almost certain given the larger body.
The other highlight with CR-V is upgraded safety tech from the new Honda Civic small car, which will soon spawn a new Type R hot hatch and e:HEV hybrid variants, the latter bringing a similar two-motor petrol-electric system.
Measuring about 4695mm long, 1865mm wide and 1690mm tall, the new Honda CR-V rides on a wheelbase that’s 40mm longer at 2700mm and, overall, is around 60mm longer, 10mm wider and 12mm taller than its predecessor.
That will make the CR-V one of the biggest mid-size SUVs on the market and the extra size will be accompanied by less aggressive front-end styling and a new take on the model’s trademark vertical tail-lights, which now look a bit Volvo-like.
While Honda Australia’s new CR-V is likely to again be based on the Japan-spec model and produced in Thailand, Honda USA is claiming its new CR-V will be better to drive, thanks to a 15 per cent stiffer body, 15 per cent higher spring rate and retuned steering system.
Naturally, headlights and tail-lights are both LED and, at least in the US, premium Sport and Sport Touring grades feature specific designs at both ends, plus black highlights and rectangular exhaust outlets. Wheel sizes of up to 19-inch will be available in the US too.
Inside, as we saw from last month’s teaser image, the new CR-V dashboard borrows heavily from the latest Civic (although there’s no sign of its 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster) and also features a similar floating central touch-screen, gear shifter and switchgear.
Unlike the latest Civic and HR-V, which are so far available here only in high-priced premium model grades, Honda Australia is likely to offer a much wider range of new CR-V variants to compete directly with the top-selling Toyota RAV4.
Entry variants in the US will come standard with cloth upholstery and 7.0-inch infotainment and instrument displays (the latter with an analogue speedo), while premium versions add a larger 9.0-inch touch-screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Higher-grade US CR-Vs will also score leather trim with orange contrast stitching for the seats, centre console, shifter and steering wheel, plus an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, multi-zone climate control, four USB ports and a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system.
In the US, Honda is claiming an extra 34 litres of boot space for the petrol model and 88L for the hybrid, at 1028 litres behind the rear seats and a big 2166L with them folded (measured to the roof).
Amenity is further improved via an extra 15mm of rear legroom, a nine-litre front centre console bin and a 60/40-split folding rear seat with eight recline angles.
On the safety front, there’s a full suite of active and passive systems including 10 airbags and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection plus intersection support, as well as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist, lane keep assist and driver attention monitoring.
Under the bonnet, the US CR-V’s entry engine will be a revised version of the current 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder producing 142kW and 243Nm, which is the same as the model it replaces but up 2kW/3Nm on our current CR-V.
It’s matched as standard to an all-wheel drive system that can now send up to 50 per cent of torque to the rear wheels and a revised CVT automatic transmission that’s claimed to increase power across a wider rev range and reduce engine and transmission noise.
Hill descent control and up to four drive modes will be on offer.
The highlight, however, will be a petrol-electric powertrain that will go head-to head with Australia’s most popular hybrid vehicle (and the nation’s top-selling SUV), the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
It combines an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors mounted in tandem, producing 152kW/335Nm – so less peak power than the RAV4’s combined peak of 163kW, at least on paper.
New tech for the hybrid powertrain includes direct fuel-injection and a ‘Linear Shift Control’ system that aims to make it perform more like a conventional drivetrain.
No fuel consumption figures for the 2023 Honda Civic hybrid were revealed, but towing capacity is listed at a paltry 1000 pounds (454kg).
Related: Confirmed: Honda ZR-V coming next year
Related: New Honda CR-V interior revealed
Related: New Honda CR-V teased
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