2023 Honda CR-V gets bigger, meaner and greener

It may seem just yesterday that Honda overhauled its bread-and-butter compact crossover, but in reality, the last time we saw a completely redesigned CR-V, Obama was the lamest of ducks and Hillary Clinton appeared poised to take the White House. Thankfully, the world has calmed down considerably over the past six years, to the point where the introduction of the 2023 Honda CR-V seems wildly exciting by comparison.

Seriously, if 2016 doesn't feel like a lifetime ago, we'd like a taste of whatever you're imbibing. One thing hasn't changed, however: The CR-V is one of the most successful compact crossover-style SUVs on the market, lagging only the Toyota RAV4 in sheer sales. It should come as no surprise then that Honda did more than throw a fresh coat of paint on its compact crossover before sending it out the door.

The 2023 CR-V's new styling borrows a bit from the redesigned Civic, but that resemblance pretty much begins and ends at the nose. Elsewhere, there are more nods to Passport, Ridgeline and Pilot than to anything else on Honda's lineup — yeah, go figure; the crossovers/SUVs look similar. If you ask us, Honda drew some inspiration from the likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan, depending on which angle you view it from. The rear end, however, is unmistakably CR-V; those taillights are dead giveaways.

The new look is due in no small part to some well-intentioned changes to the front end. If the new nose looks much longer to you, it's not your imagination. Honda moved the CR-V's A-pillar nearly five inches back and almost three inches outward in a bid to improve forward visibility. This fundamentally alters the CR-V's proportions, making it look far more SUV-like than the previous generation. Whether the visibility improvement is equally dramatic remains to be seen. Yeah, sorry.

Overall, the new CR-V is nearly three inches longer than the outgoing model. Its wheelbase is now 1.6 inches longer, and its track nearly half an inch wider, both of which should contribute to a smoother ride. Honda says suspension, chassis and steering changes will make the new CR-V not only more refined, but more fun to drive. The CR-V and CR-V hybrid dual-model strategy is also being scrapped. In simple terms the CR-V Hybrid is dead; long live the CR-V hybrid (small "h").

Honda's new strategy will still employ two powertrains, with the hybrid positioned as the performance option. The EX and EX-L will be powered by Honda's 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which will make the same 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque as it does in the current model. The Sport and Sport Touring models will be powered by a revised hybrid powertrain producing 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque.