2023 Honda CR-V spied in Malaysia – C-segment SUV to arrive with VTEC Turbo, hybrid engines?

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. In addition to this sighting, the latest CR-V was also sighted by paultan.org reader jack0 near the Sungai Besi toll plaza this morning, shown in its side profile in the second image below.

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.

2023 Honda CR-V, sixth generation; click to enlarge

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