The new Honda CR-V Hybrid should be the best of all worlds in terms of efficiency and a secure everyday driving experience.
Tommy puts different kinds of all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles through their paces using the TFL Slip Test. Automakers particularly market most of their crossovers for their mix of practicality and dynamics — but how does Honda’s latest hybrid crossover hold up to scrutiny? In short, it didn’t exactly perform as we expected. Check out how it did in the video below.
At its core, the 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid uses a similar setup to the outgoing generation. This new model uses a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine, as well as an electric motor mounted on the rear axle. Combined, the system puts out 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque.
Unlike the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, too, Honda’s approach uses a mechanical all-wheel drive system to translate the power from the electric motor to the front axle when needed. The electric motor in the Toyota does not have a physical connection to the gasoline engine, which may be an issue in certain rear traction loss situations, like those we replicate through the TFL Slip Test and real-world driving on the onX Offroad course.
Though the CR-V Hybrid fared all right in two-wheel traction loss scenarios, when we get to the three-wheel slip test, where only one wheel is actually contacting the ground…things didn’t go that great. That’s not to say the Honda CR-V Hybrid is a bad car, by any stretch, but these tests are meant to reveal a range of real-world situations you’ll want to consider when comparing the remarkably crowded crossover segment.