- The 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid is Honda’s first hybrid crossover in the U.S. market.
- No official fuel economy figures are available yet, but Honda estimates a 50 percent improvement over the non-hybrid model.
- Non-hybrid versions of the 2020 Honda CR-V will go on sale this fall, while hybrid models will go on sale in Spring 2020.
- The 2020 Honda CR-V gets new styling, while the 2.4-liter engine has been dropped, making the 1.5-liter turbo standard on non-hybrid models.
Honda jumps into the hybrid crossover fray.
Oddly, just as Nissan pulls the Rogue Hybrid from the U.S. market, we have new contenders for the 2020 model year. Beyond the latest generation Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, we now have the Ford Escape Hybrid and this — the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. Technically, this is not the first hybrid CR-V there’s been. Honda did reveal an electrified model at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. That said, this is the first hybrid model we’ll see on our shores.
The CR-V Hybrid will go on sale in Spring 2020.
The 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid uses a powertrain similar to what’s in the Accord Hybrid. That means we get a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle inline-four engine with a combined 212 horsepower output. Honda says this CR-V uses a mechanical all-wheel drive system with the assistance of two electric motors. All-wheel drive is standard for the CR-V Hybrid, by way of a clutch that will send the electric motors’ power to the rear wheels if needed.
Fuel economy figures are still a mystery for now. If it does manage anywhere near the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s 40 Combined mpg, then we should have a good range of choices on our hand, even with the Rogue Hybrid’s departure. Honda says the CR-V Hybrid nets a 50 percent fuel economy boost over the standard CR-V, which would mean somewhere in the low-to-mid 40 mpg range.
On the appearance front, the CR-V Hybrid gets in vogue blue Honda badges, different fog lights, and a different bumper design.
Other changes to the CR-V lineup
The base 2.4-liter engine is gone from the CR-V for 2020. Now, all non-hybrid models will use the same 1.5-liter turbocharged engine. That unit carries over unchanged, with 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque.
All 2020 Honda CR-V models get an updated front grille design, including new fog lights, as well as darkened taillights. EX and EX-L trims get new 18-inch wheels, while Touring models get a new 19-inch wheel design as standard equipment. On the inside, new CR-V models get an updated interior design. That includes a new push-button gear selector flanked by switches for Econ, Sport and EV drive modes. Like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the CR-V’s EV mode allows the CR-V to drive short distances on electric power only when the battery has enough charge.
As with the rest of Honda’s range, the 2020 CR-V comes standard with Honda Sensing. That includes Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist.
Stay tuned for more coming very soon!
