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An expanded Honda CR-V hybrid range has launched in Australia, reducing the cost of entry by $10,000 with three new variants and newly-standard all-wheel-drive on the carryover e:HEV RS.
Petrol-electric hybrid power is now standard on all but two Honda CR-V variants in Australia for 2026.
The 2026 Honda CR-V will arrive in Australia next month with three new hybrid grades – e:HEV X, e:HEV L and e:HEV LX AWD – and all-wheel-drive grip for the carryover e:HEV RS.
Priced from $44,900 drive-away for the non-hybrid VTi X entry-level grade – up $3000 – all CR-Vs also add revised infotainment software with Google built-in apps, including Maps and the Play Store.
A seven-seat version of the CR-V is now limited to one grade, the $54,900 front-wheel-drive VTi L7 petrol, up $1400 over the outgoing model.
The CR-V hybrid range now starts from $49,900 for the new e:HEV L variant, a $10,000 reduction over the recommended drive-away price of the sole 2025 e:HEV RS hybrid.
Honda Australia has deleted the turbo-petrol VTi X7 seven-seat, VTi L five-seat FWD, VTi L AWD and VTi LX AWD grades in favour of hybrid power, which reduces combined fuel consumption from 7.1L/100km to between 5.5L/100km (FWD) and 5.7L/100km (AWD).
Robert Thorp, Honda Australia's automotive director, said in a media statement that "rapidly growing demand for hybrid power" has resulted in the roll-out of more CR-V hybrid grades locally.
Australia's best-selling SUV, the Toyota RAV4, has been exclusively sold with a hybrid powertrain since mid-2024, and the new-generation 2026 model will gain plug-in hybrid technology later this year.
Similar to the ZR-V, Civic and Accord, hybrid CR-Vs feature a 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine matched with an electric drive motor for a combined 135kW and 335Nm, using an E-CVT automatic transmission.
Petrol-only grades have a 140kW/240Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, paired with a normal CVT automatic.
Above the petrol VTi X, the e:HEV X hybrid gains 18-inch alloy wheels with a tyre repair kit instead of a full-size spare, a push-button gear selector, paddle shifters for regenerative braking control, and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.
The e:HEV L adds a 360-degree camera – new to the CR-V range for 2026 – plus leather-appointed seat upholstery, heated front seats, rear privacy glass, driver's seat memory, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and roof rails.
Replacing the outgoing VTi LX AWD, the new e:HEV LX AWD features 19-inch alloy wheels, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, digital radio, body-coloured exterior cladding, ambient interior lighting, and auto-folding side mirrors.
The e:HEV RS hybrid remains the flagship CR-V grade in Australia, but it now comes with all-wheel drive, gloss black exterior cladding, a head-up display, ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.
Pricing for the e:HEV RS has increased by $4500 – now $64,400 – while the e:HEV LX and e:HEV L are $1400 and $4600 dearer, respectively, compared with their petrol-only predecessors.
All Honda vehicles in Australia are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, five years of roadside assistance, an eight-year high-voltage battery warranty for hybrid and electric models, and five years of capped-price services at $199 each.
Through its Honda Extend program, customers who continue to service their vehicle at a Honda dealership will be eligible to extend their warranty and roadside assistance coverage for up to three years, for a total of eight years.
The 2026 Honda CR-V is on sale now in Australia.
Later this year, Honda Australia will also expand the ZR-V hybrid range, while it has confirmed updates for the HR-V and Civic hatch, and the launch of the new Super-One electric hatch and Prelude hybrid coupe.
2026 Honda CR-V price in Australia
Note: All prices above are drive-away.
2026 Honda CR-V VTi X standard features:
2026 Honda CR-V VTi L7 adds (over VTi X):
2026 Honda CR-V e:HEV X adds (over VTi X):
2026 Honda CR-V e:HEV L adds (over e:HEV X):
2026 Honda CR-V e:HEV LX AWD adds (over e:HEV L):
2026 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS AWD adds (over e:HEV LX):
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.
