The Civic and the CR-V are two well-known products from Japanese carmaker Honda, but apparently they share more than just the ‘H’ badge on the exterior. For its latest iteration, the compact crossover takes a page from its compact sedan sibling, particularly the interior.
The similarities between the upcoming CR-V's interior (left) and the Civic's cockpit are too close to ignore
Honda released a preview photo of the 2023 CR-V’s cabin weeks before the sixth-generation model’s scheduled July 12 world premiere. No, your eyes are not deceiving you; this is the 11th-generation Civic’s cockpit, practically transplanted to its corporate stablemate.
Once you get over the initial shock, there are some differences to consider. The central console on the CR-V has the shift lever closer to the front passenger side, right next to the row of switches for the drive modes and electronic parking brake. It also omits the dual cupholders found on the Civic.
The door trim is a bit different too, with more piano black accents on the CR-V accompanied by revised latches. Vents on top of the dashboard for demisting the windshield also appear differently on the crossover.
The current Honda Civic has been adjudged as one of the 10 cars with the best interiors
Yet everything else has been reproduced faithfully, from the beefy leather multi-function steering wheel and prominent honeycomb dashboard trim concealing the air vents to the three-dial climate control system. Even the floating-type touchscreen looks the same, presumably offering the same connectivity options.
While it might seem disingenuous and unimaginative of Honda to simply copy the Civic’s insides, the automaker might have a good reason for doing so. The sedan has been included among the ranks of 10 cars with the best interior for 2021 after all, reflecting Honda’s new design philosophy of simplifying the layout, enabling drivers to better focus on the road.
The all-new Honda CR-V is scheduled for a July 12 premiere
Previous teaser images of the upcoming new CR-V showed a more squared-off exterior, which also echoes that of the Civic to a certain extent. More details such as the powertrain and performance figures should be available in the days leading to the sixth-generation Honda CR-V’s release date.
There’s more in store for you than just double vision at Philkotse.com.