Honda will make the next-generation CR-V exclusively hybrid-powered in the US, replacing the current choice of petrol-only and hybrid powertrains when the redesigned SUV arrives in 2027.
The seventh-generation CR-V, designated a 2028 model, will introduce Honda’s fifth-generation two-motor hybrid system and a newly developed vehicle platform.
Honda is targeting a fuel-efficiency improvement of more than 10% across its next-generation hybrid models.
The revised system will allow the petrol engine to operate more frequently within its most efficient range, while improvements to the hybrid drive unit are intended to reduce energy losses.
A newly developed electric all-wheel-drive system will provide more precise motor control and quicker responses to changing road conditions.
The CR-V’s new platform is designed to combine higher body rigidity with reduced weight. Its modular architecture will also allow greater sharing of components across Honda models.
The hybrid-only CR-V forms part of Honda’s expansion of electrified vehicles in the US, where hybrids currently account for approximately 30% of the brand’s sales.
Production will continue at Honda’s three North American assembly plants in Ohio, Indiana and Canada.
Honda is also preparing its Ohio facilities to manufacture the new hybrid system and four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle petrol engine.
The company plans to increase hybrid system production capacity at its Ohio transmission plant by 250% in the coming years.
Although Honda has announced a wider global hybrid expansion, its hybrid-only CR-V commitment concerns the US market. It has not confirmed whether the seventh-generation SUV will adopt the same powertrain line-up elsewhere.
