The 2017 Honda CR-V is just slightly longer outside but a lot roomier inside.
It’s bigger, roomier, more powerful, though we’ll have to wait to see just how much more fuel-efficient the 2017 Honda CR-V will be than the outgoing crossover-utility vehicle.
Honda offered a sneak peek at the new crossover during a media briefing at Detroit’s Eastern Market and while there were plenty of things to focus on, one of the most significant was the return of the volume knob to the instrument panel, a concession that not all buyers are enamored of the new touchscreen technologies sweeping through the auto industry.
That small detail is likely to enhance the appeal of what has already become one of Honda’s most popular products, the new 2017 CR-V set to roll out of three separate plants in the U.S. and Canada. It is, in fact, very likely set to become the best-selling model in the entire Honda U.S. line-up.
“This is the next big step” in Honda’s aggressive product roll-out, said John Mendel, the Japanese maker’s top American executive, during the debut of the new CR-V in Detroit.
The overall look of the 2017 model will be familiar to existing Honda CR-V owners.
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The fifth-generation crossover comes to market barely six years after the previous CR-V was revealed, and three years after a major, mid-cycle update. In an increasingly competitive market, Honda needed to move fast, said Jeff Conrad, head of the Honda brand.
That means an entirely new Architecture, dubbed the Compact Global Platform, introduced for the new Civic but modified to allow for the CR-V’s option all-wheel-drive.
For the crossover, the platform yields about an inch more overall length and an added 1.6 inches of wheelbase. The 2017 Honda CR-V is also slightly wider. All that delivers where it counts most. The rear seat gets about two inches more legroom and, addressing a frequent complaint about compact crossovers, the 2017 CR-V also gets another 9.8 inches of length to the cargo compartment.
To further enhance storage, there are new, single-motion split/fold rear seats that create a completely flat load compartment. There’s also an optional hands-free liftgate, a must have considering trends in the segment.
The new model adds a volume control knob to the left of the familiar touchscreen display.
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From the outside, the new CR-V is less slab-sided than the outgoing CUV, though the overall look won’t come as a shock to past buyers. The ute gets a three-part grille, the upper element chromed, with blacked-out honeycomb elements above and below the bumper. The upper grille is now framed by LED headlamps, with LED lamps in the rear, as well.
The cabin of the 2017 Honda crossover is not just larger but more lavishly detailed, especially on EX trim and above – those representing 75% of the U.S. market for CR-V. The instrument panel features modified digital instrumentation and an updated version of the now-familiar Honda family touchscreen infotainment system. But bowing to widespread criticism, there’s a new volume control knob, as well as the volume controller on the steering wheel.
The 2017 Honda CR-V will offer two engines, including this new 1.5-liter Earth Dreams turbo.
According to Conrad, we’ll start to see this updated infotainment system roll out on other new Honda models to come, but don’t expect to see it switched into existing models – at least until they go through mid-cycle updates.
Honda has two new powertrains available for the 2017 CR-V. Base models get a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four that makes 180 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. For the EX and more up-market trim levels, however, there’s the new Earth Dreams turbo introduced on the new Civic line, a 1.5-liter four that bumps the numbers to 190 hp and 179 lb-ft.
Both engines will be paired with a CVT gearbox. Buyers will have the option of ordering front- or all-wheel-drive configurations.
Honda hasn’t yet gotten official mileage numbers from the EPA but is hoping to be rated best-in-segment. The current model gets up to 26 mpg City, 33 Highway.
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Another look inside the new CR-V.
Like so many other manufacturers, Honda has been packaging an array of high-tech safety systems into a single, more affordable package. The 2017 CR-V will feature the latest version of Honda Sensing, including an active control system able to flow with traffic and, in the event of a potential collision, bring the ute to a complete stop. Honda Sensing will be standard on EX trim and above.
We’ll have to wait until close to the official, December 16th on-sale date to get pricing data, but brand manager Conrad hints that “We’re aware of how competitive this market is. We’ll be very careful” not to price the 2017 Honda CR-V out of its current competitive position. The 2016 model starts at an MSR of $28,295 plus delivery fees.