Honda has confirmed a 40 mpg combined rating for the redesigned 2023 CR-V Hybrid, and it’s pricing the entire CR-V lineup, which now includes the CR-V Hybrid Sport and Hybrid Sport Touring trims in a fundamentally defined way. The hybrid is the sportier choice in the lineup.
The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport starts at $33,695 in front-wheel drive, including a $1,245 destination charge, or $35,195 in its all-wheel drive version. The top-spec Hybrid Sport Touring includes all-wheel drive and is priced at $39,845.
The top 40 mpg rating is 2 mpg better than last year’s CR-V Hybrid, but that’s because Honda has introduced front-wheel drive versions of the Hybrid with better gas mileage. The CR-V Hybrid achieves an EPA rating of 43 mpg city, 36 highway, 40 combined in front-wheel drive.
Last year’s all-wheel-drive CR-V Hybrid returned 38 mpg combined, compared to 37 mpg combined in all-wheel drive for the 2023 model. However, the redesigned CR-V lineup is larger. and possibly a bit heavier than the upcoming 2022 model.
2023 Honda CR-FIRE
Honda first introduced a CR-V Hybrid in the US in 2020. With the introduction of the fourth-generation version of Honda’s two-mode hybrid system, the CR-V Hybrid will offer a sportier ride; It now makes 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque, compared to 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque in the old version. Honda says the new model has a more refined 2.0-liter Atkinson-4-cycle engine, so expect it to be smoother and quieter. In ours test of its predecessorThe CR-V Hybrid drives like an EV at lower speeds than rival models.
Competition in this corner of the market is very strong. Toyota offers more modestly equipped versions RAV4 Hybrid. The most affordable 2023 RAV4 Hybrid LE costs $30,910; the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Blue starts at $31,045. But the CR-V Hybrid EX is positioned below the similarly equipped versions of the $32,380 RAV Hybrid XLE and $33,645 Tucson SEL Convenience.
2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring
The base price of the 2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid EX is $33,035, so for shoppers who don’t mind giving up on all-wheel drive, the price has increased only slightly. The Hybrid Sport features gloss black exterior accents, 18-inch Berlina Black wheels and a rectangular exhaust finisher. It currently includes adaptive cruise control, active lane control, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility, wireless device charging, heated front seats, power mirrors. heating and sunroof.
The flagship Sport Touring adds 12-speaker Bose audio, a navigation system and a wi-fi hotspot, along with 19-inch wheels and tires.
The CR-V is Honda’s best-selling model in the US, and Honda expects CR-V Hybrid sales to account for about 50% of all CR-Vs annually. Whether it appeals to buyers largely depends on whether the hybrid delivers to mid-market shoppers who haven’t seen the CR-V in decades.
