Here’s the new 2017 Honda CR-V

The 2017 Honda CR-V will launch sometime in December. Today, we got our first look at the 5th-generation CR-V, and what we learned is that it will share many components with the Honda Civic compact sedan that was unveiled last year.

It will be built on the same platform, and it will also share its all-new turbo engine which, like in the Civic, is a first for a North American Honda CR-V. The four-cylinder, 1,5-liter turbocharged will deliver 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque, a slight increase in power compared to the previous generation. That said, Honda promises improved fuel economy despite the extra horsepower.

Base models get the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that powers the current-gen CR-V with 184 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. All versions get a standard continuously variable automatic gearbox.

Thanks to its new structure that it shares with the Civic but also the upcoming new Accord, the 2017 CR-V’s wheelbase grows by about 40 mm which means that there are 5 centimeters of extra leg room for backseat passengers. Cargo space will also improve.

Outside, the 2017 CR-V gets sharper overall handling that moves away a bit from the rounded panels of the current CR-V. The front now shares its design with other recently-introduced Honda vehicles, and LED headlights are now on the menu.

Inside, the cockpit gets a host of changes, but none more important than what Honda added to the center console – a physical knob to control the volume instead of touch controls. In other words, Honda answered a lot of wishlists at once with one simple, logical move.

The new Honda CR-V will continue to be produced at Honda’s Canadian plant in Alliston, Ontario, but production will also be undertaken at two US-based sites.