Honda will present the CR-V Hybrid Prototype at the Frankfurt Motor Show

The CR-V has become a success for Honda across its entire range, as it has managed to establish itself in sales within the saturated SUV market, so it is only natural that it has been chosen to appear at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It will also feature an important new addition, as it will present its new hybrid technology, thus becoming the first hybrid SUV from Honda to set foot on European soil.

What we will see at the Frankfurt Motor Show is the Honda CR-V Hybrid Prototype, which is simply a preview of the lines, design and technology we will enjoy in Europe with the new CR-V. Looking at its styling, overall we find a CR-V Hybrid that is larger than its predecessor, resulting in greater width, height and length, something the new, larger wheels and tyres also help achieve. In addition, its front design already incorporates the latest characteristic touches of Honda.

Although the main novelty of the Honda CR-V Hybrid Prototype lies under its bonnet, where we find the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system, which consists of a 2,000 cc Atkinson-cycle i-VTEC petrol engine and two electric motors: one drive motor and another motor-generator that operates independently. For now they have not disclosed its power output, just as they have only told us that it does not need a conventional transmission, since it features a single fixed gear ratio with direct connection, which results in a much smoother transfer of torque.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid Prototype will offer three driving modes, but these modes do not require the driver’s involvement to activate, as the i-MMD system determines which to use according to the circumstances of the moment. On one hand we will have EV Drive mode, where energy comes from the batteries and no emissions are produced; on the other we have Hybrid Drive mode, where the petrol engine drives the motor-generator which in turn feeds the electric motor, thus taking the opportunity to charge the batteries; while in the last mode, Engine Drive, the petrol engine operates, although should more power be needed the electric motor would also come into action.

But although its new hybrid powertrain will be the most talked about, we must not forget that the new Honda CR-V will arrive in European markets without any diesel engine option, offering as its conventional alternative a 1,500 cc turbocharged VTEC petrol engine, linked to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadHonda CR-V4 versions · from 51,545 €