- Honda wants to sell you full-size hybrid SUVs from 2027 onwards.
- The models will feature the automaker’s next-generation in-house developed hybrid system.
- Expect fuel economy gains and better performance thanks to battery power.
Honda is developing a next-generation hybrid system for its full-sized SUVs tailored specifically for the North American market, the automaker said on Wednesday. It’s also introducing a new mid-size hybrid platform, which will bring a raft of structural and powertrain improvements over its current crop of hybrids.
The Japanese automaker announced its new plans at the Honda Automotive Technology Workshop in Tokyo.
Photo by: Honda
The renewed focus on hybrids comes amid broader shifts in the auto industry; Honda’s affordable EV plans are now more focused in Asia, specifically Japan and India, where it’s planning to introduce its 0 Series Alpha compact electric SUV. Amid the Trump administration’s rollback of fuel economy rules and the federal tax credit, Honda will focus more on large hybrids in the U.S.
Its next-generation hybrid system for full-sized SUVs in the U.S. will include a newly developed V6 engine paired with new electric motors and an upgraded lithium-ion battery, all aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing costs compared to existing tech. The result of that would be 30% better fuel efficiency compared to current full-size non-hybrid SUVs and 10% faster acceleration.
Photo by: Honda
Currently, Honda offers non-hybrid V6 engines on the Pilot and the Passport SUVs. Neither of these SUVs has an electrified version just yet, but that might change in 2027 when this tech arrives stateside. The automaker didn’t specify which exact models will get the new hybrid powertrain, but these SUVs are the two logical applications.
Honda is also planning to launch a new hybrid platform for mid-size vehicles, which could potentially bring updates to the CR-V and the Civic hybrids. More than half of CR-V sales in America in the first three quarters of this year were the hybrid trims.
This new hybrid platform will include a stiffer body that “flexes” during cornering to improve stability and “roadholding performance.” This same tech will also be applied to its 0 Series electric vehicle platform. The mid-size hybrid platform will be 198 pounds (90 kilograms) lighter than the current platform and have more than 60% common parts across models.
Honda Next-Generation Hybrids And EVs
Photo by: Honda
Honda isn’t the only automaker investing more in hybrids. Hyundai also introduced the Palisade Hybrid this year, which is a first for that nameplate. And the overall resurgence of hybrids in America also prompted Toyota to fully electrify the Camry and the RAV4, which are hybrid-only models now.
At the dawn of this decade, automakers pitched hybrids as a “transition” technology towards fully electric models. But this transition now appears to be much longer than initially thought, potentially lasting well into the next decade if not beyond that.
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