Honda confirmed this week that the redesigned, seventh-generation CR-V arriving next year as a 2028 model will be sold exclusively with hybrid power, ending the compact SUV’s gasoline-only option entirely.
The announcement, made in a Honda newsroom release, positions America’s best-selling SUV to follow a path similar to the one Toyota took with the RAV4, which Toyota made exclusively a hybrid starting with the 2026 model.
What Honda announced
Honda announced that the next-generation, 2028 Honda CR-V will arrive next year, powered exclusively by an all-new two-motor Honda Hybrid system.
With hybrid and SUV consideration at all-time highs, the 7th-generation CR-V is the first of several hybrid models Honda plans to launch in North America by 2030.
The new SUV will use what Honda calls its “Honda Hybrid” system, a redesigned, fifth-generation version of the brand’s existing two-motor setup.
Honda is aiming to improve the fuel efficiency of the next-generation hybrid model by more than 10%, further advancing a unique Honda driving experience.
The automaker also said it has expanded the range where the engine operates more efficiently and optimized the hybrid unit, while the new platform targets better rigidity and lower weight.
Built on a new platform in three North American plants
Luis Guerra, assistant vice president of Honda National Auto Sales, said the shift reflects where demand is heading.
“With a 100% hybrid powertrain, the next-generation Honda CR-V will further expand the appeal of America’s most popular SUV as demand for hybrid-electric vehicles reaches record levels,” he said.
The 7th-generation CR-V will continue to be built in three plants in North America using domestic and globally made parts, including the East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, the Indiana Auto Plant, and Honda of Canada Mfg.
Honda is also retooling existing lines to support the new powertrain. The Anna Engine Plant also is retooling an existing production line to produce the next generation 4-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine powering the CR-V and future vehicles built in North America.
The move follows a separate, larger investment Honda disclosed days earlier.
To meet growing customer demand for hybrid vehicles in North America, Honda announced it will invest $3 billion to build a new auto plant in Central Ohio, creating more than 2,000 new American jobs and increasing its U.S. production capacity.
That Ohio facility, which is expected to begin production in 2029, pending final government approvals , is part of a broader manufacturing push. Industry reporting notes this is not directly related to the CR-V’s shift to an all-hybrid lineup . This expansion builds on broader manufacturing trends GCN has tracked at other automakers retooling plants for new drivetrains.
Hybrids already dominate CR-V sales
The hybrid-only shift reflects how far demand has already moved inside Honda’s own lineup. According to Honda’s annual sales report, 54% of CR-V were hybrids in 2025.
Annual CR-V hybrid sales have grown nearly 10x since introduction in 2020.
Honda is not alone in making the switch. The Honda news follows similar decisions by Toyota, which made the RAV4 SUV hybrid-only starting with the 2026 model.
The CR-V has long competed directly against the RAV4 in the compact SUV segment, and hybrid demand trends across that category echo patterns GCN has reported in other recent hybrid sales records.
What comes next
Honda said the new CR-V marks the start of a broader electrification push. The 7th-generation CR-V is the first of several new hybrid models confirmed in development for the North American market.
Insiders told Automotive News that executives plan to sell more than 400,000 units of the next CR-V during the first full year of production , a figure in line with Honda’s own statement that CR-V has been the best-selling Honda vehicle every year since 2017 and is on pace for another annual sales record, surpassing 400,000 units for the third straight year.
Honda has not finalized pricing for the 2028 CR-V, and the automaker has not released an official starting price ahead of the vehicle’s launch next year.
Honda hasn’t released specific performance or efficiency figures, but it said power will come from a new, two-motor hybrid system built around an Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, with performance and efficiency expected to exceed the outgoing model.
