After axing its dramatically-styled 0 Series electric vehicles at the last minute, Honda is moving forward the launch of its next-generation hybrid system that will power the upcoming seventh-generation CR-V.
According to Nikkei Asia, the new CR-V’s launch has been bumped up a couple months, with the model now set to go into production in Canada in February 2027, and manufacturing in Ohio and Indiana scheduled to commence in March.
The seventh-gen CR-V will likely be based on the company’s new mid-size vehicle architecture, which Honda claims is around 90kg lighter than current platform used for the Civic, CR-V and a plethora of other models.
In May, Honda previewed the design of a new sedan we think could be the next-generation Civic, as well as an Acura that’s likely a harbinger of the next RDX, a model closely related to the CR-V.
While we don’t know any of the key details about Honda’s next-generation hybrid system, the company claims it will be 10 per cent more efficient than today’s 135kW/315Nm 2.0-litre system that’s rated at 4.2L/100km in the Civic and 5.5L/100km in the CR-V.
Just as importantly for the automaker, the new hybrid drivetrain will about 30 per cent cheaper to produce.
It’s unclear when the new CR-V will enter production in Thailand, which supplies the model to Australia and Japan. There was about a year’s delay between the start of Canadian and Thai production for the current model.
The business publication has confirmed earlier reports that Honda Thailand will begin producing a new three-row SUV in “early 2027”. This model is said to be a hybrid that’s larger than the CR-V, and which will be known as the Avancier.
We don’t know if the Avancier is coming to Australia, but it’s availability in right-hand drive for both Thailand and Japan no doubt helps its case. Robert Thorp, Honda Australia’s boss, indicated the company is investigating new models and new market segments for the brand Down Under.
If the Avancier does indeed board the boat for Australia, it could spell the demise of the three-row CR-V. It would also give the company it’s first dedicated three-row SUV since the MDX was axed in 2006.
At the smaller end of the scale, the fourth-generation HR-V, or Vezel as it’s known in Japan, will make its debut in 2028 and will also feature a version of Honda’s new hybrid system.
These models will be the first salvos in a hybrid model onslaught from Honda, which is planning to launch 15 hybrid vehicles by March 2030. Honda hopes its hybrid sales will total for 2.5 million vehicles per year by the end of the decade, or about triple the number it sold in 2025.
Larger models developed primarily for the North American market, including the next-generation Pilot SUV and Odyssey people mover, will employ a V6 hybrid system that’s due to come online from 2029.