Source: Honda
DETROIT — America’s best-selling crossover of the past two decades gets a major boost with the introduction of the 2020 Honda CR-V, sporting freshened styling, new features and upgraded powertrains—including a new CR-V Hybrid to be built in the company’s Greensburg, Ind. plant.
The 2020 CR-V Hybrid is the first electrified SUV from the Honda brand in America, joining the Accord Hybrid and Insight as the third electrified Honda manufactured in the U.S. as the company moves to apply its advanced two-motor hybrid-electric system to all of its core U.S. models in the years ahead.
In addition to the new hybrid-electric variant, major upgrades to the 2020 CR-V include bolder front and rear styling, re-designed wheels and standard Honda Sensing® safety and driver-assistive technology (previously available only on EX and above trims).
All non-hybrid 2020 CR-V models are now powered by the 1.5-liter VTEC™ Turbo engine, previously available only in EX and above trims. The 2020 CR-V will go on sale at Honda dealerships nationwide this fall, followed by the launch of the all-new CR-V Hybrid in early 2020.
Production of the CR-V Hybrid for the U.S. market will take place at Honda’s Greenburg plant alongside CR-V and the Insight hybrid sedan. The company will invest $4.2 million and add 34 new jobs in the plant to support production of the CR-V Hybrid. Honda’s Russells Point, Ohio, plant will manufacture the CR-V Hybrid’s two-motor power unit, and the company’s Anna, Ohio, engine plant will produce its 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine.
Honda Electrification Initiative
Honda is targeting two-thirds of its global automobile sales to come from electrified vehicles by 2030. In North America, Honda is focusing on the expanded application of its advanced two-motor hybrid-electric technology as the most effective means to meet customer needs while realizing significant near-term gains in fuel efficiency and accompanying reductions in CO2 emissions that contribute to global climate change.
U.S. sales of electrified Honda vehicles are on track for a third consecutive year of growth. For the first eight months of 2019, sales of Accord Hybrid, Insight and Clarity have reached 42,270 combined sales, propelling Honda electrified vehicle sales to year-over-year gains of 67.9 percent. In 2018, Honda set a record of 49,914 electrified vehicle sales in the U.S., which were nearly double 2017 results.
Advanced Safety and Driver-Assistive Technology
With the 2020 model year, all Honda CR-Vs now come standard with the Honda Sensing® suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, including:
- Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and pedestrian sensing capability
- Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with low-speed follow
- Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS)
Additional driver-assistive technologies include the available blind spot information (BSI), Rear Cross Traffic Monitor (CTM) and Auto High Beam headlights.
CR-V Hybrid models benefit from a new Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) designed to increase awareness by pedestrians when travelling under electric-only power. A speaker mounted in the front bumper generates a distinct audible alert that varies in volume depending on vehicle speed and is easily noticeable to pedestrians, but nearly inaudible to the driver or passengers under most circumstances.
The 2020 Honda CR-V also incorporates Honda’s next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, helping CR-V achieve the highest possible collision safety ratings, including an NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and targeting a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The complete press release with further information can be read by clicking on this sentence.
