Sixth-Gen Honda CR-V Lands in Australia – Malaysia Soon?

The sixth-gen Honda CR-V arrives in Australia

It’s been a year since the sixth-gen Honda CR-V was first unveiled to the world, with Thailand being the first in the ASEAN region to officially launch the new SUV model. After Thailand, the new CR-V is heading to Land Down Under, making its debut in yet another ‘regional’ RHD market.

The sixth-gen CR-V employs the same 1.5-litre VTEC turbo mill derived from the previous gen model

Unlike in Thailand, the Aussie-bound CR-V will arrive in a whopping seven variants, with six of them powered by a 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbocharged VTEC engine that outputs 190 HP and 243 NM, and a single e:HEV RS variant, powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cyl nat-asp mill that works in-tandem with the dual hybrid motor setup, delivering 204 HP and 335 NM.

Starting off with the two baseline five-seater variants, the entry-level 2WD VTi X trim is sold at AU$44,500 (RM133,133), while the 2WD VTi L commands a slightly higher price tag at AU$48,800 (RM145,998). These are followed by two seven-seater variants – VTi X7 and VTi L7, which are priced AU$46,800 (RM140,014) and AU$53,000 (RM158,563) respectively.

Rounding-off the 1.5-litre-powered variants are the two five-seater all-wheel drive (AWD), starting with the AWD VTi L at AU$51,300 (RM153,477), as well as the AWD VTi LX which is tagged at AU$57,000 (RM170,531).

Honda CR-V e:HEV RS

Sitting at the top is the lone e:HEV RS range-topping variant, which commands the highest price tag at AU$59,900 (RM179,207). This variant is also the first-ever CR-V model in Australia to be offered with Honda’s proprietary e:HEV hybrid powertrain.

In terms of visuals, the Aussie-bound Honda CR-V looks pretty much the same as the one we saw in Thailand, as all models are fully-imported (CBU) from the Kingdom. You’ll get standard exterior kits like full-LED headlights and taillights, 18-inch wheels across the board, as well as six different colourways to choose from – Platinum White, Lunar Silver, Meteoroid Grey and Ignite Red will be offered on all trim levels, while Crystal Black and Canyon River Blue will only be on particular variants.

On board, the Aussie-spec CR-V kit list almost mirrors the one we saw in Thailand. Highlights include the head-up display (HUD), 10.2-inch TFT digital instrument cluster, 9.0-inch central infotainment display with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 12-speaker Bose sound system, and many more.

Safety features are also quite on-par with the Thai-spec models, as the Aussie-bound CR-V will get active safety features like Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Lane-Keep Assist (LKA) and Road Departure Mitigation systems, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lead Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), and many more.

The sixth-gen Honda CR-V SUV is poised to make its market entry in Australia later in Sept 1, with pre-orders already opened. With both the Australian and Thailand markets already getting the new CR-V, it is only right that Malaysia will be next on the list to get this new SUV model.

As we previously reported, Honda Malaysia is poised to launch at least four new models this year, with the first one being the new Honda WR-V compact crossover, followed by the Honda City sedan facelift, which will make its debut later this month. All facts pointing towards the new CR-V being the third model to be launched this year, which is expected to take place some time in Q3 or Q4 of 2023.