Honda's Next CR-V Goes Hybrid-Only, Dropping Gas Power From America's Top SUV
The seventh-generation CR-V gets a new platform, a fifth-generation two-motor hybrid, and electric AWD. The $31,520 gas model goes away; pricing isn't out yet.
The cheapest way into a Honda CR-V is going away. Honda says the next-generation 2028 CR-V, due next year, will come only with a two-motor hybrid, ending the turbocharged gas version that opens today's lineup.
That puts America's biggest-selling SUV on the path the Toyota RAV4 took for 2026, as we laid out in our guide to which Toyotas still offer gas. Honda hasn't released pricing, power, or fuel-economy figures yet.
New hybrid, new AWD, new platform
The seventh-generation CR-V changes three big pieces of hardware at once. The hybrid is the fifth generation of Honda's two-motor system, which Honda says keeps the engine in its most efficient operating range more of the time and wastes less energy in the hybrid unit. A newly developed electric all-wheel-drive unit is meant to give quicker, more precise torque control.
Underneath sits an all-new platform that debuts on the CR-V. Honda describes it as stiffer and lighter than before, with a modular layout that lets more parts be shared across models. The company says standard power and efficiency will both rise, and it is targeting a fuel-economy gain of more than 10% for the new hybrid.
This is the first U.S. model confirmed for the next-generation Honda Hybrid system announced in October. Honda calls it the first of several new hybrids planned for North America by 2030.
What dropping the gas engine means for price
Right now the CR-V is effectively two cars. The 2027 LX, with a 190-hp 1.5-liter turbo four, starts at $31,520 before a $1,550 destination charge, according to Honda's configurator. The cheapest hybrid, the 204-hp Sport Hybrid, is $36,030, a $4,510 gap. In front-drive form the hybrid is EPA-rated at 40 mpg combined, against 30 mpg for the gas LX.
Toyota kept its hybrid floor when the RAV4 went hybrid-only: the 2026 RAV4 LE costs $31,900, the same as the outgoing hybrid LE, though it is now front-drive at that price. Honda hasn't said whether the new CR-V will start nearer today's LX or today's Sport Hybrid. Our CR-V Hybrid vs. RAV4 Hybrid comparison shows how much that sticker gap already shapes buyers' choices.
Honda's sales data suggests most CR-V buyers have already made the switch. Hybrids account for more than half of CR-V sales, and annual CR-V Hybrid sales have grown nearly tenfold since the hybrid arrived in 2020. Across the brand, hybrids are about 30% of sales after record years in 2024 and 2025, and Honda expects another record in 2026.
There is a lot riding on the switch. Honda says the CR-V is on pace to top 400,000 U.S. sales for the third year running, was the country's best-selling light-duty vehicle through October, and has passed 7.5 million U.S. sales since launch. The nameplate turns 30 in 2027.
"With a 100% hybrid powertrain, the next-generation Honda CR-V will further expand the appeal of America's most popular SUV," said Luis Guerra, assistant vice president of Honda National Auto Sales.
Built in Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario
Assembly stays where it is now: East Liberty, Ohio, the Indiana Auto Plant, and Honda of Canada Mfg. in Ontario. The hybrid units will come from Honda's transmission plant in Ohio, where hybrid-system capacity is set to rise by 250%, while the Anna, Ohio, engine plant is retooling a line for the new Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder. It is part of the investment push behind Honda’s new $3 billion Ohio plant.
Honda hasn't said when in 2027 the CR-V will be revealed or reach dealers, how much it will cost, or what the change means for the low-volume CR-V e:FCEV fuel-cell model. Expect those answers closer to launch.
