Honda's Most Popular SUV Is Ditching Gas-Only Power Next Year

There's no question that the Honda CR-V is incredibly popular. Honda's sales numbers from last month put it at 371,659 units sold so far this year, significantly more than any other Honda in the lineup. The CR-V is also about to enter its seventh generation next year. With that new generation comes a lot of changes, perhaps the biggest of which is the hybrid-only powertrain for the 2028 model year. 

According to a press release from Honda, the powertrain, a two-motor hybrid layout, will be completely new as well. Honda hasn't given any stats as of yet before the official launch. It hasn't even released any images of the new CR-V either. 

Honda says that the decision to go all-hybrid was because "...CR-V hybrid accounts for over 50% of model sales mix..." and added, "Increasing sales of hybrid-electric vehicles is key to Honda's overall growth strategy." Honda is also planning to launch other hybrids soon, with the CR-V leading the charge. 

Honda's own internal reasons for making the switch for the CR-V make a lot of sense within the Honda sphere, but externally, Toyota's hybrid-only RAV4 (and the plug-in too) is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. That's especially true as the RAV4 grows in popularity to the point where it's occasionally a little hard to get your hands on one.

The company's electrified future might be getting a little clearer to see in the aftermath of axing its only EV, the Honda Prologue, earlier this year. With cars like the Prelude already featuring a standard hybrid drivetrain and competitors like Toyota already opting for electrification for its two most popular models, the Camry and RAV4, hybridization instead of widening the EV market looks like the path forward for Honda. More EVs would certainly be nice, but it's hard to complain about more hybrids, especially with a vehicle as competent and mass-market friendly as the CR-V. The chances are slim to none that the new CR-V is going to be a disappointment. The real test will be how it will stand up in sales to the RAV4, which has already had a hybrid head start.