Honda CR-V 2023 Revealed, Australia at least a year away
The new Honda CR-V offers a choice of petrol or hybrid power, packed into a larger body equipped with new technologies and safety enhancements borrowed from the Civic hatch.
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The next generation Honda CR-V 2023 has been revealed in the US, ahead of the first Australian arrival expected no earlier than the middle of next year.
Revealed 25 years after the original CR-V arrived in Australia, the Honda family favorite sixth generation has grown to straddle the gap between the mid-size and large SUV segments, with hybrid powertrain options available.
It benefits from a range of new technologies and safety features introduced with the new Civic lineup, with a nearly identical dashboard – and for buyers who don’t want a hybrid, the familiar 1.5-liter turbo engine.
Drive understand the new CR-V is at least 12 months away from Australian showrooms. Honda Australia has not announced details.
Measuring 4694mm long, 1864mm wide and 1691mm high, the new CR-V is 59mm longer, 9mm wider and 12mm taller than its predecessor – sitting on a wheelbase that’s 40mm longer, at 2700mm.
The accelerating growth propelled the CR-V from the heart of the midsize SUV segment, to one of the larger vehicles in its class, blurring the line between mid-size and large SUVs alongside the Mitsubishi Outlander and Skoda Kodiaq.
The styling of the new Honda CR-V is more restrained than the car it replaces, with a mix of smooth surfaces and some sharp creases. There are standard LED headlights, new vertical LED taillights (in a Volvo style), and 18-inch or 19-inch alloy wheels.
The top-spec Sport and Sport Touring models in the US add unique styling to the front and rear, with rectangular exhaust outlets and black accents. True to the original 1990s CR-V, the ‘AWD’ badge is imprinted on the rear window pane.
Inside, many buyers will be hard-pressed to tell the new CR-V’s dashboard apart from the hatch of the new Civic, with its similar tablet-style infotainment screen, wide honeycomb mesh air vents, and similar designs for the shifters and switchgear.
The touchscreen is available in 7.0 or 9.0 inches – the latter offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – while the 7.0-inch instrument screen sits in front of the driver, with an analog speedometer. The Civic’s 10.25-inch full digital instrument display is not available.
Available technology features include multi-zone climate control, four USB ports (two front, two rear), a premium Bose 12-speaker sound system, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat and a four-way powered passenger seat.
The entry-level model offers upholstery, with higher leather upholstery trim, and contrasting orange stitching spreads across the seats, center console, steering wheel and gear selector.
Honda USA did not state whether the new CR-V would offer a seven-seat option, with its press release implying the five-seater would be the only layout available in North America.
However, there’s a fair chance the third-row option will be retained in Australia, given that the new CR-V is bigger than the old model, and the demise of the Odyssey’s person-driver leaves a gap for the three-row car in Honda’s local line-up.
Our CR-V will likely be built in a different factory to the US-made American model, opening the door further for differentiation between markets.
Features for rear passengers include an additional 15mm of second-row legroom, a 60:40 folding rear seat with eight reclined corners, and plenty of storage to join the nine-liter front center console bay.
Honda USA claims 1028 liters of luggage space with the rear seats up (up to 34 liters for the petrol model, or 88L for the hybrid), increased to 1113L with the fake trunk floor removed, and 2166 liters with the rear seats folded.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that these figures are measured to the roof – not the height of the parcel shelves or window lines, as is customary in Australia. Here, the outgoing five-seater CR-V claims a 522L with the rear seats on top, or a 1084L with them on the bottom (measured to the window).
Powering the new CR-V in the US will be a choice of two engines, including a hybrid rival Toyota. Expect both to come to Australia, as Honda Australia has committed to offering a hybrid version of every new model it introduces.
Range unlocked by the current revised version 1.5 liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine develop 142kW and 243Nm – identical output to the previous model in the US (but 2kW/3Nm higher than Australian figures).
It sends drive to all four wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Honda claims improved programming for the CVT, reduced engine and transmission noise, and peak power available over a wider rev range.
Meanwhile, buyers can opt for a hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.0 liter non-turbo four cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors (now installed side by side), growing to 152kW and 335Nm.
While that’s technically 6kW less than the 158kW claimed for older CR-V hybrids in the US, the new model’s peak power appears to be concurrent – meaning it’s the maximum total power delivered to the wheels at any one time, rather than individual peaks. the output of the engine and their own electric motor, which arrive at different points in their respective rev ranges.
The hybrid (now with direct fuel injection) uses the so-called “Linear Shift Control” system[mimic] the spin sensation associated with vehicle speed is related to the gearshift of a conventional drivetrain.” Towing capacity stands at 450kg for this variant.
Downhill control and up to four drive modes are available, while the all-wheel-drive system can now transmit up to 50 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels.
A 15 percent stiffer body, 15 percent higher spring speed, and a rearranged steering and suspension system are said to provide a sharper driving experience.
A full suite of state-of-the-art safety systems are available, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian/cyclist/motorcycle detection and crossing support, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assistance, lane guard assistance and driver attention monitoring.
The outgoing LaneWatch CR-V camera – which projects a camera feed from the side of the car onto the infotainment screen – has been ditched in favor of traditional sensor-based blind-spot monitoring.
There are 10 airbags, including redesigned front airbags to minimize brain injury, standard front knee airbags, and new underside airbags for rear passengers (in addition to head shields, as offered on the old CR-V).
Surprisingly, at least on the North American model, there is no mention of a center airbag between the front passengers – a feature common to other mid-size SUVs in Australia with a five-star ANCAP safety rating under the latest testing criteria.
It Honda CR-V 2023 will launch in the US before the end of August in a 1.5-liter petrol variant, with a hybrid following later in the year.
While the CR-V will be built in the US and Canada for the North American market, Australian models are expected to come from factories closer to local shores – most likely in Thailand, as per the current model, or Japan, like the new Civic. and HR-V.
That opens the door to features or changes specific to Australia and surrounding Southeast Asian countries – which could include a different engine setup, or a continuation of third-row seating.
Honda Australia has indicated plans to offer a lineup of three SUVs in the next 12 to 18 months, consisting of the HR-V, the new CR-V and a third model, which will be given the ZR-V badge, placed between the two with dimensions similar to Mazda’s. CX-5.
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