The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid gets a detailed once-over from our commander in chief, Roman.
Oddly, while the 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid came out during Honda’s “Year of the SUV,” so did the Civic Type R. Regardless, Honda has made a real push to come out with all-new, or significantly updated SUVs. Recently, Honda debuted the all-new HR-V, and we expect to see an updated Honda Pilot pretty soon.
What we know about the new CR-V Hybrid
Things have changed, including the placement of the newly updated hybrid powertrain. The Sport and Sport Touring models come with a 204-horsepower combined rating, and the hybrid system also produces 247 lb-ft of torque. Like the Honda Accord Hybrid, hybrid CR-V’s have a lockup clutch between the two electric motors, one dedicated to propulsion, the other regeneration.
In the previous CR-V Hybrid, one electric motor did both jobs.
The EX and EX-L have a carryover, turbocharged powertrain from the previous model that you can learn more about here. Unlike the turbo models, the hybrid has no front-wheel drive option. It only comes with all-wheel drive.
Roman’s thoughts
Roman is pleased that the new hybrid powertrain architecture allows for up to 50-percent of the torque to be sent to the rear wheels. Another bonus (to some) is that it works via a mechanical AWD system. Unlike the RAV4 hybrid, which has an electric motor powering the rear wheels, the CR-V has a mechanical rear axle – and a drive-shaft leading to it.
Now, the CR-V Hybrid is rated tow up to 1,000 lbs. The previous generation isn’t rated for towing at all. The turbocharged (non-hybrid) models are rated to tow up to 1,500 lbs.
There’s a lot to unpack with this new vehicle, and Roman does his best to give you an opinion from a rather unbiased perspective.
