Honda CR-V Will Be Hybrid-Only in North America from 2027

The seventh generation of the Honda CR-V will be offered only as a hybrid in North America, Honda confirmed, when the all-new model launches in 2027 as a 2028 model year vehicle.

Honda said the move to a hybrid-only line-up for the CR-V reflects customer demand in the region and coincides with the nameplate's 30th anniversary. The company confirmed the newcomer will use an all-new, two-motor hybrid system and a new platform rather than an evolution of the current chassis.

Powertrain and architecture

Details remain limited at the time of writing, but Honda describes the hybrid as an upgraded iteration of its fifth-generation system. The manufacturer claims the revised package will expand the system's operating range for greater efficiency, reduce fuel consumption by about 10 percent and include a new electric all-wheel drive system Honda says will provide more precise and responsive control.

Honda also says the underlying platform will be stiffer yet as light as possible and will feature a modular architecture intended to increase parts commonality across future models. The company did not specify which components will be shared or offer detailed technical figures for the new chassis or hybrid hardware.

The two-motor arrangement and the upgraded hybrid drive will be produced in Ohio, with the hybrid drive built at the Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio, Honda added.

Sales context underlines the decision: since its 1997 introduction, the CR-V has sold about 7.5 million units globally and is the United States market's all-time best-selling SUV. Within Honda's U.S. lineup, the CR-V has been the brand's best-selling model of any kind since 2017. Honda noted the trend looked set to continue in 2026, citing some 400,000 CR-Vs sold already this year.

Hybrid variants of the outgoing generation set sales records in 2024 and 2025, and Honda expects continued growth this year, a factor the company said influenced the decision to offer the next CR-V exclusively as a hybrid. Hybrids now account for roughly 30 percent of Honda's total U.S. vehicle sales.

Honda plans several additional hybrid launches in the U.S. by the turn of the decade, with the upcoming CR-V positioned as the first of that series. The new CR-V will be manufactured for North American customers at Honda's East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, the Indiana Auto Plant and at Honda of Canada Mfg.