The irony couldn’t be more towering. As I was driving a 2020 CR-V Hybrid from Tucson, Arizona, to Los Angeles, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. was buying barrels of crude oil after its price plummeted nearly 30 percent in one day. Oil prices were at their lowest in more than a decade, and here I was, driving the first gas-sipping hybrid SUV Honda has offered in the U.S.
The CR-V Hybrid represents a big step for Honda. It’s the first electrified CR-V and the first all-wheel-drive hybrid vehicle for the automaker. Are gas prices going to go back up? They always do. But that’s not the only reason to shop this new entry.
Available in all four trims—LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring—the hybrid brings a host of differences from the gas model.
The biggest lie under the skin. The 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid uses the same two-motor system as the Accord Hybrid, which gets a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine that produces 143 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque. An electric motor produces 181 hp and 232 lb-ft, and the hybrid CR-V’s 212 combined horsepower make it 22 hp more powerful than the gas version. That power is sent to all four wheels by way of an e-CVT. A 1.3-kW-hr lithium-ion battery lies under the cargo floor. All CR-V Hybrids come with standard all-wheel drive, the same mechanical system used in the gas model, not an electrified rear axle.
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Esta historia es de la edición June 2020 de Motor Trend.
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MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
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Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space
AGENTS OF ZERO
WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
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2023 Lexus RZ
Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZ 450e is the brand’s first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexus’ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)
2024 Kia Seltos
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2023 Jeep Compass
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2024 Hyundai Kona
The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. It’s larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something we’re already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?
2023 Ford Escape
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