Honda CR-V Hybrid Debuts in China, Waits to Leap Across Pacific

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

It’s really a matter of when, instead of a question of “will it?”

This week’s Shanghai auto show saw the premiere of an electrified Honda CR-V that should hit Chinese dealers in the second half of this year. When that vehicle will get a chance to battle rivals on American turf remains a secret, but it’s abundantly clear that the model has a future on this continent.

Built in China by the Dongfeng Honda Automotive partnership , the model’s exterior doesn’t diverge from the gas-powered model we saw arrive for the 2017 model year. That’s because it’s what’s underneath that makes the vehicle extra marketable.

The hybrid version of the wildly popular compact crossover uses Honda’s i-MMD two-motor system — a setup found on the upgraded 2017 Accord Hybrid. Honda didn’t release specifications for the CR-V, though the Accord version makes a combined 212 horsepower from a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. That model stores its juice in a 1.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.

The Accord Hybrid also gets 49 miles per gallon in the city and 48 mpg combined, though a less-svelte crossover would see worse fuel economy, assuming the unit is a direct carryover.

At the auto how, Honda president Takahiro Hachigo reiterated the company’s pledge to draw two-thirds of its global sales from electrified vehicles by 2030. A lofty goal, and one that makes the CR-V Hybrid’s entry into the U.S. a given.

When Green Car Reports asked Honda if we can expect this model, a company spokesperson replied, “We have already announced our intent to electrify core volume models, including light trucks. CR-V will logically be a part of that, and we’ll announce timing for the U.S. at a later date.”

With this model in its stable, Honda would find itself better armed to battle two chief rivals — the Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue — each of which offers a hybrid variant.

[Image: Honda]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Brandloyalty Brandloyalty on Apr 22, 2017

    @revOlver and Rday, Interesting to hear what mileage your Rav4 Hybrids get. Of course these are awd. Your numbers are 30-35 US, which is in line with the average on Fuelly. Self-reported mileage is subject to all sorts of variation. For comparison my '09 Escape Hybrid awd gets around 30 in winter and 33.4 in the summer. 33.4 is 7L/100km or 40 mpg imperial. I'm a bit surprised the Rav4 Hybrid does not beat the Escape Hybrid by more since the Rav4 presumably has a more advanced system. I guess Ford did a good job of designing their hybrid.

  • Gasser Gasser on Apr 23, 2017

    Depending on the hybrid premium, this sounds perfect for me. My commute is almost 100% city driving and I always seem to get 4-5 mpg less that the city EPA estimate. On the rare occasions that I drive on the freeway, the highway mileage is equal to or better than the EPA sticker. Almost went for the Fusion hybrid, but there just wasn't enough of the trunk left after the battery pack ate up its share of the package. I am hoping that a lot of the CRV's battery will be under the floor and not intrude into the cargo real estate.

  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
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