Honda will have more to say -- and show -- about the new CR-V next week.
Honda is giving us a first look at its 2015 CR-V – but not much more – hinting it will have plenty of details to reveal later this month.
But some significant details have already leaked out about this mid-cycle update of one of the U.S. market’s best-selling products, the 2015 Honda CR-V set to go on sale at the beginning of October. Beyond the cosmetic changes, the new CUV is expected to get a new 2.4-liter engine that, when paired with a new automatic gearbox, should deliver a solid bump in fuel economy.
Honda clearly needs to keep the little crossover on the top of its game considering the hefty competition in the compact CUV segment, with buyers offered alternatives as diverse as the Toyota RAV-4, the Nissan Rogue, the Mazda CX-5, and other options from the U.S. and South Korea.
Honda bills the CR-V as “the best-selling SUV in America,” a boast that depends upon how you count. But there’s no question it is a strong seller in the world’s most ute-friendly market. And Honda wants to keep it that way, making enough changes to the CR-V to keep buyers interested.
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A closer look at this first official image reveals no major sheet metal changes, though the 2015 update of the CR-V does introduce a revised front fascia more in line with what we’ve been seeing on other recent Honda models. That includes what appears to be new projector headlamps and LED running lights anchoring both ends of a revised, triple-bar grille, chromed on top and bottom.
The bumper has been updated, as well, and there’s less gray plastic cladding on either front or side – though it remains to see if that’s just on this apparently top-line CR-V model.
The side mirrors appear to have adopted integrate turn signals and we’d be surprised if the new CR-V doesn’t add Honda’s unique blind-spot detection system which relies on a camera mounted in the passenger-side mirror. Click the right turn signal and you get a visual display of what’s in the blind-spot on the instrument panel’s LCD touchscreen.
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One of the changes anticipated for 2015 would bring a new engine under the hood, a 189-horsepower 2.4-liter inline-four expected to replace the current, 185-hp I-4 package. A new gearbox is also expected to replace the current 5-speed automatic. That should yield a couple more miles per gallon, crucial in this fuel economy-sensitive market segment.
There have been reports Honda will also make some significant interior changes – perhaps including a new and larger videoscreen. Also expect to see an updated version of the maker’s infotainment control system.
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Barring a major surprise, anticipate a very modest rise in pricing, which currently starts at just over $21,000 – with a fully loaded Honda CR-V nudging into the low $30,000 range.
We’ll be back with more when Honda announces full details on September 30th. The 2015 Honda CR-V goes on sale October 1 in the U.S.