Honda announced Thursday that the 2028 Honda CR-V will be offered only with a two‑motor hybrid powertrain and will arrive in North America in 2027. The automaker said the seventh‑generation CR‑V debuts a new modular platform, an upgraded hybrid system and a newly developed electric all‑wheel‑drive unit.
2028 Honda CR-V: Hybrid-only and new platform
According to Honda, the all‑new CR‑V will use an enhanced version of its two‑motor hybrid system — described as the fifth generation of that architecture — and a new electric AWD unit that enables more precise motor control. Honda said the redesigned platform combines high body rigidity with lighter weight and a modular architecture intended to increase parts commonality.
What Honda says about efficiency, production and sales
Honda told reporters the next‑generation hybrid will raise standard power and efficiency for the CR‑V and is aiming to improve fuel efficiency by more than 10 percent compared with the outgoing model. The company said the new hybrid unit will expand the operating range where the gasoline engine runs most efficiently and improve the driving efficiency of the hybrid system.
Honda said the next‑generation CR‑V is the first of several hybrid models planned for North America by 2030 and that hybrid vehicles represented about 30 percent of Honda brand U.S. sales in 2025. The automaker also noted the CR‑V is America’s all‑time best‑selling SUV, with more than 7.5 million units sold, and that CR‑V hybrid variants now account for over 50 percent of the model’s sales mix.
On the company’s U.S. manufacturing plans, Honda said the new hybrid drive unit will be built at the Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio (TMP‑O), which is being retooled to produce next‑generation hybrid systems and is expected to increase hybrid system production capacity by 250 percent. Honda added that the CR‑V will continue to be assembled for North America at the East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, the Indiana Auto Plant and Honda of Canada Mfg.
Key specs
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Engine / Motor | All‑new two‑motor Honda Hybrid system (5th generation) |
| Power | Not disclosed |
| Fuel efficiency | Targeted improvement of more than 10% (Honda) |
| On‑sale | Arriving in North America in 2027 as a 2028 model |
| Assembly | East Liberty (OH), Indiana Auto Plant, Honda of Canada Mfg. |
“With a 100% hybrid powertrain, the next‑generation Honda CR‑V will further expand the appeal of America’s most popular SUV as demand for hybrid‑electric vehicles reaches record levels,” said Luis Guerra, assistant vice president of Honda National Auto Sales.
Honda cautioned the details released are accurate as of the announcement date and subject to change.
Sources: Honda News, Jalopnik, Motor1, The Drive, autoevolution