Honda has taken a big leap forward in unveiling the all-new 2023 Honda CR-V, after heavy anticipation intensified by tease images that broke the internet for a while. For the 2023 model year, the CR-V line gets a full redesign that revolves around its trim levels and powertrains. Featuring a tough and sleek design, the new CR-V takes on other appealing competitors such as the RAV4, Ford Escape, and Hyundai Tucson in the hottest automotive segment. And, the new CR-V is about 2.7 inches longer than its predecessor with premium proportions and a broader stance and the rear gets a more squared-off utilitarian styling.
Inching slowly towards the electric segment, the 2023 Honda CR-V family welcomes a 2.0-liter hybrid powertrain, which is offered in the Sport and Sport Touring models. These spectacular CR-V hybrid models sit at the top of the CR-V range and will represent approximately 50% of sales for this 6th generation, marking an important step in Honda's electrification strategy.
And thanks to this new and advanced 4th-generation hybrid-electric system, the new Honda CR-V promises to deliver a comfier, smoother, fuel-efficient, and more capable drive quality. The EX and EX-L trims, however, retain an enhanced version of the 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 – the same engine that powers the 2022 Honda CR-V lineup alongside the base 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated motor. But, aside from all its fine attributes, we found the CR-V’s interior particularly outstanding.
The new Honda CR-V’s interior packs all the cool features that modernize the entire CR-V lineage. Read on to find out what the CR-V has in store.
Upscale Interior Design And More Cabin Space
The CR-V gains a more contemporary and sportier interior, featuring high-quality materials and premium touches across the lineup. The dashboard features a metal honeycomb mesh, which not only adds style to the front cabin but also hides the air vents for a much neater and uncluttered finish.
The CR-V is based on the brand’s advanced global architecture, allowing the wheelbase to extend to 106.3 inches (adding 1.6 inches). This not only gives the crossover a smoother ride and stability but also unlocks more legroom in the cabin and cargo space behind the rear seat. The crossover now offers more comfort than ever, with eight recline angles for rear passengers, taking the stress out of traveling.
In terms of cargo, all CR-V trims offer 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space, which grows to 76.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. There is a large center console bin between the front seats, which is the biggest in its class, offering up to nine liters of storage space.
The Sport model comes with its unique black fabric while the Sport Touring model has either black or gray leather-upholstered seats, adding a luxury appeal and extra comfy cabin experience.
User-Friendly Technology
The CR-V’s nearly-designed cabin is integrated with driver-focused focus controls and technology. This includes a digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment touchscreen in the center of the dashboard.
Copying from the Honda Civic, the CR-V offers the same advanced setup and a metallic mesh trim piece running across the dashboard with a 7.0-inch touchscreen audio system, which comes standard on the EX and Sport, with physical buttons for volume and adjustment and a simple menu structure. The EX-L and Sport Touring trim levels come standard with a larger 9-inch touchscreen with a physical volume knob. Unlike the smaller 7-inch screen that connects to your smartphone phone via a cord, the bigger screen is integrated with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as navigation. Its menus are relatively easy to sift through, making it more user-friendly.
High-end sport-touring models feature a custom-designed 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, which comes with Bose CenterPoint technology and digital surround signal processing to deliver a superior and clearer sound quality.
For 2023, the Honda CR-V cabin also received a digital instrument panel. The digital instrument panel measures approximately 7 inches wide and features a speedometer on the EX and EX-L trim levels. The Sport and Sport Touring models, however, receive a physical speedometer on the right and an all-digital power flow meter on the left. The 7-inch screen digital instrument panel gives access to important functions like vehicle info, Honda Sensing settings, and more, with user-selectable menus.
The Honda Sensing Suite Just Got A Lot Better
The new Honda CR-V also comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist and safety systems, which, for the 2023 model year, gets updated with more features, such as the new wide-angle camera with a 90-degree field of view, which is set to improve collision-prevention performance. It’s also integrated with a radar system that sees 120 degrees around the car.
And it gets more impressive as the Blind-Sport monitoring feature is standard too, along with the Traffic Sign Recognition System, the Traffic Jam Assist, and the adaptive cruise control that comes with a low-speed flow.
The Honda CR-V now has a Driver Attention Display that displays a warning on the dashboard if it detects driver inattention. The rear-seat reminder alerts the driver to check the rear seat when exiting the vehicle, to avoid forgetting children or pets.