Honda’s CR-V compact crossover has already met its demise in its home market of Japan, but the nameplate lives on in the automaker’s major markets. One of those is in Southeast Asia, where the sixth-generation model is now primed to make its regional debut on March 22.
Thailand will be the springboard for the ASEAN launch of the 2023 Honda CR-V
The new CR-V has been confirmed to premiere at the 2023 Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS), using the event to formally catapult it to the ASEAN market. This follows the crossover’s global debut in the U.S., one of its most successful markets.
As far as specifications and feature set are concerned, the ASEAN CR-V is not expected to stray too far away from its Western counterpart. There’s the matter of the styling for one thing, adapting design cues from its stablemates the HR-V subcompact crossover and the Civic compact sedan. This has resulted in a more angular look that reduces the visual heft of the previous version, despite being bigger now than ever.
It borrows from its Civic stablemate in both exterior and interior styling
Customers should expect the same exterior features as on the U.S. release, from the sleek LED headlamps surrounding the new grille to the larger LED rear lamps flanking the tailgate.
Inside, the new CR-V shares the honeycomb dashboard trim with the 11th-generation Civic that conceals the air vents, along with a floating-type touchscreen. As the U.S.-spec CR-V is currently offered with two seating rows, this could potentially be expanded to three for the ASEAN market.
In terms of powertrain, the new CR-V currently brings two options spread across its four trim levels. The base EX and EX-L share a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that yields 190 horsepower and 243 Nm of torque, while the higher-spec Sport and Sport Touring have a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline mill working in concert with two electric motors, bringing a combined hybrid output of 204 horsepower and 335 Nm of torque.
The new CR-V has been spotted in camouflage roaming Thai roads last year (Image: Jeerasak Suwanpeuch FB account)
With the given engine selection, it looks like there would be no room for the 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel unit that currently runs the flagship variant of the CR-V in our market. This would be similar to what Toyota implemented on the new Innova, which has moved away from diesel power towards standard gasoline and hybrid propulsion.
We’ll have to wait until the new Honda CR-V’s Thai launch comes to pass, before gauging the chances that Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) will bring it here.
Keep an eye out for more new models coming to our region at Philkotse.com.
Know more about Honda CR-V 2024
The 2024 Honda CR-V is a midsize crossover SUV. For the Philippine market, it has three variants: the V Turbo CVT, VX Turbo CVT, and the RS e:HEV (hybrid) e-CVT.
The latest version of this Honda model has two different engine options. For the top-spec hybrid trim, it uses a 2.0-liter gasoline four-banger paired with a dual motor and lithium-ion battery. The combustion component alone produces up to 145 horsepower and 183 Nm of torque. The electric-powered component meanwhile, can churn out 181 horsepower and 335 Nm of torque.
Aboard the V and VX trims meanwhile is a 1.5-liter inline-4 engine that can churn out 187 horsepower and 240 Nm of torque.
Only the VX gets all-wheel-drive, while the rest are front-wheel-drive. All trims then use a continuously variable transmission (CVT), but the one on the hybrid trim is an electronic CVT (e-CVT).
In terms of dimensions, the all-new CR-V is 4,691mm long, 1,866mm wide, and 1,681mm (1,691mm for VX) in height. Both the hybrid and the V’s wheelbase then spans 2,701mm (2,700mm for VX).
Locally, the Honda CR-V competes against the likes of the Mazda CX-9, Cherry Tiggo 8 Pro, Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Peugeot 5008, etc.
₱ 2,100,000 - ₱ 2,590,000
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