A blur image of a camouflaged SUV emerges, though this one is just about clear enough to show that it is the 2023 Honda CR-V that has been sighted around Putrajaya in Malaysia.
Unveiled in July 2022, the sixth-generation CR-V was revealed ahead of its United States market debut as a 2023 model, with a choice of 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo and 2.0 litre hybrid powertrains offered. The petrol-powered 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo mill outputs 193 PS at 6,000 rpm and 243 Nm of torque from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm, sending drive to a continuously variable transmission.
Meanwhile, the 2.0L Atkinson-cycle hybrid four-cylinder with e-CVT is akin to that of the Civic e:HEV and is mated to two electric motors, yielding a total system output of 207 PS and 315 Nm of torque. Its predecessor, the fifth-generation model saw its Malaysian debut in July 2017, followed by its mid-lifecycle facelift arrival in the country in November 2020.
The latest, sixth-generation CR-V is a larger vehicle that the one it succeeds. Measuring 4,694 mm long, 1,864 mm wide and 1,681 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,700 mm, the new model is 69 mm longer, 10 mm wider and 40 mm longer of wheelbase compared to the fifth-gen CR-V, albeit with the new model 8 mm lower than its predecessor.
Rear seat legroom benefits, with an additional 15 mm, and both turbo and hybrid variants get more cargo room. In front, the sixth-gen CR-V dashboard largely emulates that of the Civic, albeit with a larger centre console that allows the gear lever to be placed side-by-side with the drive mode selector, hill descent control button and electronic parking brake switch.
Available safety kit on the US-market sixth-gen CR-V includes now-standard Blind spot information (BSI), while the existing Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS) get more natural responses, says Honda. Additional functions include Traffic Jam Assist, Low-Speed Braking Control and Traffic Sign Recognition.
At present, the fifth-generation CR-V is on sale in Malaysia starting from RM146,900 for the base 2.0L 2WD variant, and the four-variant range is topped by the 1.5L TC-P 4WD at RM171,400, according to the Honda Malaysia website; all prices are on-the-road excluding insurance.
GALLERY: 2023 Honda CR-V, sixth-generation