2022 Honda CR-V spied during testing
The sixth-generation of Honda's best-selling model has been caught in the wild, looking very similar to the smaller HR-V.
The 2022 Honda CR-V has been snapped ahead of its expected unveiling later this year.
It's the first indication we've seen of the sixth-generation CR-V, with Honda wrapping the SUV nose-to-tail in camouflaged vinyl to help conceal its new design.
From what we can see, a more confident front-end will adorn the new model, with slimmer LED headlights and a cleaner, simpler grille than on the current model.
The test mule does share a number of visual similarities with the new-generation Honda HR-V small SUV (below) revealed in February 2021, along with a range of cues from the electric Honda SUV E:concept shown at the Beijing Auto Show in September 2020.
The new CR-V should share much of its underpinnings with the upcoming, next-generation Honda Civic hatch, which has also been spotted out testing in Europe in hatch guise. A prototype of the Civic sedan – which, in production form, won't make it to Australia – was revealed in November 2020.
While it's difficult to confirm from these images, it appears the new CR-V will grow in size – this also falls in line with reports that the next-gen Civic will see a 30mm increase in overall length.
Powertrains have yet to be confirmed, but the current model's 140kW 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder could carry over with a minor performance bump, with a full hybrid or plug-in hybrid option likely to follow in the coming years.
The latter pair of options will prove particularly crucial if Honda plans to sell the new mid-size SUV in Europe, where the brand has pledged to electrify its line-up by the end of 2022.
When will the Honda CR-V go on sale in Australia?
Being Honda's best-selling model in Australia – with more than 9500 vehicles sold in 2020, or around 32 per cent more than the Civic – there's no doubt the new CR-V will be offered to local buyers.
Dates have yet to be confirmed, but it's probable the new model will be unveiled globally before the end of the year, ahead of a local release in 2022 – likely coinciding with or following just after the launch of the new Civic hatch.
The HR-V should beat its larger SUV sibling to market, with the small crossover due to go on sale in Australia by February 2022.
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Below: The current 2021 Honda CR-V
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