Next Honda CR-V to introduce new hybrid powertrain

Honda is preparing a new seventh generation CR-V, which is likely to debut on the North American market later next year. And it’s going hybrid only. It will arrive as a 2028 model with a new platform and a new two-motor hybrid system. The first teaser shows a redesigned CR-V badge, with the rest of the car still under wraps.

The new CR-V will debut the fifth generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid system. A new four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine is said to be able to operate more efficiently across a wider range, and Honda is targeting a fuel-efficiency improvement of more than 10 per cent over the current hybrid. The company has yet to publish power outputs or fuel consumption figures.

Honda has also developed an electric all-wheel-drive system for the new model. The platform uses new construction methods aimed at cutting weight and increasing body rigidity, and its modular design will let Honda share more parts across future models.

Hybrids already make up more than half of US CR-V sales. Honda says annual sales of the hybrid have grown nearly tenfold since its US introduction in 2020, and the CR-V range is on course to exceed 400,000 US sales for a third straight year in 2026.

New Zealand timing and specifications for the next CR-V are still to be confirmed. The current local range starts at $44,900 for the front-drive petrol X, with the petrol L AWD at $59,000. The front-drive Hybrid X starts at $62,000 and the Hybrid RS AWD at $75,000.