Honda CR-V Hybrid available to order now

Honda has released pricing and specifications details for the new CR-V hybrid, which is available to order now with pricing starting from £29,105.

Available with five seats and with a choice of two and all-wheel drive, the hybrid version of the CR-V follows the standard Honda grading, rising from the entry level S to SE (from £30,965), SR (from £33,445) and finishing at the top of the range EX (from £37,255 in 4WD only). 

As with the petrol version, standard across all grades is Honda SENSING; Honda’s suite of safety features which includes collision mitigation braking system, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition. 

SE grade adds parking sensors and a rear view camera, while the SR and EX will also feature blind spot warning and cross traffic monitoring, while low speed following on the cruise control is available across all grades.

SR grade also adds smart entry and start, leather interior and active cornering lights; while EX further includes a heated steering wheel, head up display, hands free access power tailgate, heated rear seats and panoramic glass sunroof.

THe CR-V Hybrid features Intelligent Multi-Mode (i-MMD) technology, consisting of two electric motors, a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a direct transmission.

Maximum output is 184PS with 315Nm of torque. 

Front-wheel-drive models emit 120g/km and return an average 53.3mpg. All-wheel-drive versions emit 126g/km and can achieve 51.4mpg

Instead of using a conventional transmission, a single fixed gear ratio creates a direct connection between moving components. Honda says this results in a smoother transfer of torque.

The i-MMD technology automatically switches between three driving modes:

EV Drive: this draws energy from the battery to power the electric propulsion motor and drive the wheels (with the petrol engine turned off)
Hybrid Drive: the petrol engine powers a second motor/generator that supplements electrical energy from the battery pack
Engine Drive: a lock-up clutch mechanism creates a direct connection between the petrol engine and the wheels.

In most urban driving situations, the CR-V Hybrid will automatically transition between Hybrid Drive and EV Drive for optimum efficiency.

In Hybrid Drive, excess power from the petrol engine can also be diverted to recharge the battery via the generator motor.

The Engine Drive mode is the most efficient set-up for high-speed highway cruising.

At a moderate cruise, the CR-V Hybrid will typically run in EV Drive for more than half of the time, while at faster speeds, the car will be in EV Drive for approximately one third of the time.

The control software of the i-MMD system will constantly decide when to shuffle between these modes to maximise efficiency dependent on the situation and environment, without input from the driver.

Production of the 2019 Honda CR-V Hybrid for European markets is set to start in October 2018, with the first customer deliveries in early 2019.