Motor Company is responsible for some of the most impactful nameplates in the car and SUV vehicle classes. The Japanese brand is known for producing economical vehicles with pleasant driving dynamics. Some models have impressive performance characteristics. A new Honda hybrid SUV is particularly powerful. Did Honda really turn its latest into a racing car?
What is the Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer?
Honda Performance Development has teased what appears to be the highest performing version of the Honda CR-V ever created. HPD (Honda Performance Development) has put the mettle of a racing car into the body of a new CR-V Hybrid for some fun and honoring Honda’s racing history.
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How was HPD able to accomplish this incredible feat? The HPD Beast is the product of an IndyCar engine mated to the body of Honda’s punchiest SUV nameplate. The Honda CR-V Hybrid Racer is impressive, but it’s not something you can order from a dealership or even modify for yourself. So, let’s shift gears and analyze how powerful a stock 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid is.
The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid is packed with power
It starts at $32,400. It uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors to produce 204 horsepower and a whopping 247 lb-ft of torque. The small hybrid SUV gets 43 miles per gallon in the city and 36 miles per gallon on the highway.
The CR-V uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to produce 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid version makes 68 more lb-ft of torque than the gas version. So, the stock CR-V hybrid doesn’t come close to the HPD Beast, but consumers can still enjoy an exhilarating amount of standard torque on the latest iteration of the CR-V hybrid.
Why did Honda make a racing car out of a CR-V?
Honda has many platforms and nameplates that can be modified into a racing car. So why did Honda Performance Development choose to turn the small SUV into a racing car? There’s no definitive answer, but the CR-V has been redesigned this year and looks pretty darn cool slammed.
HPD likely picked the CR-V for shock value and to give the nameplate a second whirl since it had already debuted. If you get a Honda CR-V Hybrid, it won’t be anything like the HPD Beast, but seeing the full potential of the redesigned CR-V is nice.
The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid is a great little hybrid SUV for the money, despite being more expensive than some of its rivals. Other notable small hybrid SUVs include the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid and the 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. He calls the 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid the best hybrid SUV for 2023.
