Next Honda CR-V Is Going Hybrid-Only. Here's The First Teaser

The 2028 CR-V arrives next year with a completely new platform and an upgraded hybrid powertrain.

Photo by: Honda

Jeff Glucker

By: Jeff Glucker

Nov 12, at 9:00am ET

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The gas-only Honda CR-V is going away. That's a bold move for a vehicle often crowned the best-selling SUV in the country. But Honda isn't simply saying goodbye to its cash cow; it's evolving it.

The all-new 2028 Honda CR-V is set to debut next year, and it arrives with a brand-new platform and two-motor hybrid powertrain. Customers continually opt for the hybrid CR-V over the gas model, so Honda is simply playing to its strengths.

New Powertrain, New Platform

While we don't know what the next CR-V will look like, Honda has shown off the new badge design. The automaker is also spilling insight into the next-gen powertrain and platform. Honda plans to use the CR-V to introduce the next iteration of its two-motor hybrid system.

According to Honda, the upcoming fifth-generation two-motor system will be more efficient and more powerful. The power band has been expanded, which allows the vehicle to more easily remain in an efficient state of motive power. In fact, Honda expects fuel-efficiency gains of more than 10 percent compared to the outgoing hybrid system.

On the platform side, Honda says the new CR-V will feature newly developed construction methods that enable both high-strength body sections and reduced weight. Those two work well together when you're chasing both efficiency and overall driver enjoyment.

The Honda CR-V Remains A Hit, Especially The Hybrid

2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid

Photo by: Honda

Honda is well on its way to breaking both a CR-V sales record and a hybrid sales record. The CR-V will surpass the 400,000-unit sales mark for the third year in a row. And Honda's hybrid sales will break their own record, just as they have in 2025 and 2024.

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Hybrid vehicles account for around 30 percent of all Honda brand sales. The CR-V hybrid accounts for more than 50 percent of its model line's sales mix. That number has grown steadily, too. Since 2020, annual CR-V hybrid sales have increased 10x.

2027 marks the 30th anniversary of the CR-V. Honda appears ready to celebrate that milestone with another winning version of an already extremely popular machine.

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