2024 Honda CR-V: New RAV4, X-Trail rival closer to launch

The sixth-generation 2024 Honda CR-V has inched closer to its local launch.

Honda’s local arm has yet to confirm Australian-market details for the upcoming CR-V, but homologation information was published in the Department of Infrastructure’s vehicle certification database this week.

“Details relating to the timing of the next-generation Honda CR-V are yet to be confirmed, but it will continue to be a key pillar in our SUV strategy for the Australian market,” Honda Australia told Wheels.

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“We look forward to sharing more information around grades, specifications, and variants in due course.”

First unveiled in mid-2022, a Honda Australia spokesperson said it would be more than a year before the new CR-V arrived in local showrooms, pointing to a launch in the second half of this year.

It will follow the Mazda CX-5-sized ZR-V mid-size SUV due mid-year, with the CR-V growing in size – placing it in line with the seven-seat Mitsubishi Outlander and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

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The government data confirms the new CR-V will remain sourced from Thailand, as with the current model, unlike the latest Civic and HR-V.

These vehicles shifted to Japanese production for new-generation versions launched in Australia in the past 18 months, amid Honda's shift to an agency sales model, and a more-premium focus and hefty price rises to match.

In Thailand, the next-generation CR-V is offered in six grades – including e:HEV hybrid and sportier RS variants – with five or seven seats.

It is powered by an updated version of the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, with unchanged outputs at 140kW and 243Nm.

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As before, this engine is matched to a CVT automatic transmission and is available in front- or all-wheel-drive.

The naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol – available on the current entry-level Vi in Australia, which lacks any active safety technology, including autonomous emergency braking – has been discontinued globally for the all-new CR-V.

While a hybrid version of the outgoing CR-V was offered in the United States and Europe, the powertrain has been introduced in Thailand with the new model – opening the door for a local arrival to rival electrified versions of the Toyota RAV4 and GWM Haval H6.

It is similar to the hybrid powertrain in the Civic and ZR-V, combining an Atkinson cycle 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine with an electric motor for a more-powerful 152kW and 335Nm total system output.

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The hybrid has only five seats in Thailand; it is unknown if the electrified powertrain supports a three-row configuration.

Measuring 4694 millimetres long, 1864mm wide and 1692mm tall, with a 2700mm wheelbase, the new CR-V is 69mm longer, 10mm wider and 2mm taller, with an additional 41mm of space between the front and rear axle.

New additions include; a larger 9-inch dash-mounted infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch semi-digital or 10.2-inch all-digital instrument cluster, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, a windscreen-projected head-up display, and LED interior ambient lighting.

Six colours are available in Thailand, depending on the variant: canyon river blue, ignite red, platinum white, meteoroid grey, lunar silver and crystal black.

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When will the new CR-V come to Australia?

The 2023 Honda CR-V medium SUV is expected to arrive in Australia in the second half of this year, with local pricing and full details to be announced closer to its launch.

For context, the current CR-V is priced from $35,990 drive-away – making it the cheapest vehicle offered by Honda Australia, despite the Civic and HR-V being smaller cars.

However, the new model is tipped to open at or around $10,000 more than the outgoing version – if not more – rising to around $55,000 to $60,000 drive-away for the flagship hybrid.

VFACTS new-car sales data reveals 8123 CR-Vs were registered in Australia in 2022 – up 18.2 per cent compared to the previous year – representing more than half of all Hondas sold locally.

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