11 hours ago
23
The sixth-generation Honda CR-V has received its first update in the US – three years after its debut – with a TrailSport off-road hybrid grade and Google infotainment tech.
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An update for the 2026 Honda CR-V has been announced for the United States, but it's yet to be confirmed for Australia.
New for Honda's family SUV – and best-selling model globally – is a TrailSport hybrid grade with off-road-ready enhancements, along with Google infotainment technology first introduced in the Accord sedan and Civic hatchback.
"We are unable to confirm additional features for the Australian market at this time," a Honda Australia spokesperson said.
Australian versions of the current Honda CR-V arrived in mid-2023, about 12 months after the US, suggesting any future update would not arrive in local showrooms until sometime in 2026.
The CR-V joins the US-market Pilot and Passport large SUVs, and Ridgeline car-based ute, in gaining a TrailSport variant – aimed at Subaru's Wilderness, Hyundai's XRT and Kia's X-Pro off-road lines – but it is the first time it has been applied with petrol-electric hybrid technology.
Honda has never offered its TrailSport-badged models outside of the United States and Canada as it is limited to larger vehicles mainly sold in North America, but the addition of a CR-V TrailSport could see it expand globally.
Over standard CR-V hybrids, the TrailSport gains a unique 18-inch alloy wheel design, Continental CrossContact ATR all-terrain tyres, an Ash Green metallic paint option, and an orange grille emblem.
Inside, it is equipped with fabric seats with orange stitching and a TrailSport emblem embroidered in the front headrests, along with an exclusive orange ambient lighting option.
The CR-V has also gained Android-based infotainment software for its nine-inch touchscreen with Google Built-In for the top-of-the-range Sport Touring hybrid variant in the US.
It allows users to utilise the Google Maps and Google Assistant built-in apps, along with the Google Play Store to download third-party applications such as Spotify, YouTube Music and Waze.
Honda vehicles with Google Built-In technology retain Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support through a wireless connection.
All-wheel-drive CR-V hybrids have received an enhanced traction control system for off-road driving below 15km/h.
Honda says when the vehicle detects a difference in the rotation speed of the CR-V's front and rear wheels, it will transmit more power to the two most tractive tyres and more braking force to the slipping tyres compared to the previous system.
An individual drive mode has been added to the hybrid to customise various vehicle settings, in addition to its existing economy, normal, sport and snow drive modes.
The Honda CR-V is sourced from three manufacturing locations for the United States – two in the USA and one in Canada – while Australian-market versions are made in Thailand.
The CR-V is also built in China for some markets, including Europe and the United Kingdom.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
