The Honda CR-V is the latest compact crossover to go hybrid, joining the likes of the Nissan Rogue hybrid and the Toyota RAV4 hybrid. It made its debut at the Shanghai auto show.
While details on the CR-V hybrid are scarce, Honda notes that the high-riding hatchback is motivated by the company’s two-motor hybrid system, dubbed i-MMD (for Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive). The powertrain is currently featured in the Honda Accord hybrid and couples a 143-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a pair of electric motors: one geared to the engine, the other to the car’s differential. In total, the Accord hybrid can draw upon a maximum of 212 horsepower from its multiple power sources while earning EPA fuel-economy ratings of 49 mpg in the city and 47 on the highway, with a combined figure of 48 mpg.
Assuming the new CR-V hybrid shares its powertrain with the Accord hybrid, though, expect the bulkier compact crossover to return lower fuel-economy figures compared with its sleeker sedan sibling, especially if Honda offers the CR-V hybrid with all-wheel drive (the Accord is strictly front-wheel-drive). Still, we’d be surprised if the CR-V hybrid failed to equal or exceed the front-wheel-drive Nissan Rogue hybrid’s 34/33/35 (combined/city/highway) fuel-economy rating. That’s presuming the EPA is offered the opportunity to test a CR-V hybrid for fuel efficiency.
While the CR-V hybrid that debuted in Shanghai is specific to the China market, a Honda spokesperson acknowledged that the brand is committed to expanding the application of its i-MMD hybrid system to its core U.S. models as well. Given that the CR-V was Honda’s second-biggest-selling model in the United States last year, we presume this means a CR-V hybrid will reach our shores in the near future. How near into the future, though, remains to be seen. China-market consumers will see the model on sale midway through 2017.
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