Production-Ready Honda CR-V Hybrid Revealed Ahead Of Paris Debut

Honda unveiled the CR-V Hybrid for European markets a little over a year ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but that was only a prototype. Fast forward to today, the production-ready version is making its online debut ahead of next week's Paris Motor Show where the electrified SUV is going to be on display. Not that it comes as a big surprise, but the final version looks virtually the same as the 2017 version.

Honda has also been kind enough to reveal the technical specifications of the Euro-spec CR-V Hybrid, which will be available with either a front-wheel-drive layout or a grippy AWD setup. Power comes from a four-cylinder 2.0-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine working together with an electric motor to deliver a combined output of 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts) and a generous torque of 315 Newton-meters (232 pound-feet).

As you would come to expect, the FWD version is a bit more economical than its all-paw equivalent. In the outgoing New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the electrified Honda CR-V with a FWD layout has an average fuel consumption of 5.3 liters / 100 km equating to 120 g/km of CO2 emissions. Go for the AWD-equipped version and it will rise to 5.5 liters / 100 km and 126 g/km.

When used in the city, the SUV will automatically switch between Hybrid Drive and EV drive to ensure maximum efficiency. The former refers to when the combustion engine powers a second motor/generator to supplement electrical energy from the battery pack while the latter is when the lithium-ion battery pack feeds the electric propulsion motor to drive the wheels. There's also an Engine Drive mode during which the gasoline engine powers the wheels.

Honda mentions that at a moderate cruise, the CR-V Hybrid will run in the aforementioned EV Drive mode for more than 50 percent of the time. At higher speeds, EV Drive is activated for roughly one third of the time. It's all thanks to what the automaker refers to as the i-MMD technology smart enough to decide on its own when it's time to switch between the available modes.

Honda will begin taking orders in Europe for the CR-V Hybrid next month when it will bring it to the Paris Motor Show starting October 2 to join the updated HR-V and a Civic Type R "ArtCar Manga."