History/Overview
The Honda CR-V long ago established itself as a preeminent player in Canada’s compact crossover segment. One thing it hasn’t offered Canadians is a hybrid option, but that changes this year with the arrival of an all-new sixth-generation design.
What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year
Honda has redesigned the CR-V top to bottom for 2023, but the new hybrid powertrain is arguably its most notable characteristic.
Available Trims
The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid comes in a single, fully loaded Touring trim that builds on the top gas-powered model, which is covered in a separate buyer’s guide entry. Power is from a 2.0L four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, which are connected to the wheels by a continuously variable transmission and standard AWD.
Standard Features
CR-V Hybrid Touring’s standard kit includes 19-inch wheels, a front wiper de-icer, LED headlights, passive keyless entry, a sunroof, hands-free tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, and a rear camera washer. Inside, there’s a digital gauge cluster, dual-zone A/C, LED cabin lighting, heated seats front and rear, power-adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming mirror, leather upholstery with orange accents, a heated steering wheel, a 9.0-inch touchscreen, 12-speaker audio, wireless phone charging, and navigation.
Also included is a driver assistance suite of forward collision mitigation, lane keeping assist, driver attention monitor, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic jam assist, and traffic sign recognition.
Fuel Economy
Honda’s fuel consumption estimates for the CR-V Hybrid are 6.0/6.9 L/100 km (city/highway).
Competition
The CR-V Hybrid comes along just as two of the segment’s other major players – the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage – add their own hybrid options. Honda also goes up against the existing Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid. What all those models have in common that the CR-V does not is a plug-in hybrid option.