Five things we want in the Philippine version of the all-new 2024 Honda CR-V

The 2024 all-new Honda CR-V will be making its ASEAN region debut on March 20, 2023, in Thailand.

The seven-seater crossover has aged well in the Philippines as it has been a popular choice for those looking for a capable vehicle with gasoline and turbo-diesel powertrains.

However, the local model is getting long in the tooth with its design already outdated by its smaller siblings, such as the Honda BR-V and Honda HR-V.

With the all-new model set to debut in Thailand soon, we want to see a few key features in the Philippine version of the 2024 Honda CR-V. 

Turbo power

Like its sibling, the Honda HR-V, we want to see the 2024 Honda CR-V finally receive a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine for its platform. 

While the 2.0-liter gasoline engine did have enough power for the crossover, it lacked that particular burst of torque that only a turbocharged engine can deliver.

As the body design of the crossover is all-new, we suspect it could be a bit heavier, so having the extra power on tap could prove to be handy.

We aren’t sure how Honda Philippines will tune the engine, but we suspect it will have 190 PS and 243 Nm of torque, similar to what was once available on the Honda Accord (Specs | News).

We expect a CVT to be the only transmission option available for the engine.

A 9-inch infotainment system

Bigger may be better with the 2024 Honda BR-V, as we expect at least one crossover variant to come with a 9-inch infotainment system. Of course, this head unit will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with the latter getting wireless capabilities.

Aside from this, Honda Philippines could give it a new eight-speaker sound system and a wireless charging pad similar to what is available in the US. 

A more colorful cabin

We understand that a predominantly black interior with a gray or beige headliner works well to keep a car looking clean and premium. 

However, as the 2024 Honda CR-V will become the new flagship model in terms of price for the Japanese brand in the Philippines, we expect Honda to give it something extra in terms of its interior to separate it from its rivals. 

Instead of its traditional black interior, Honda may give the 2024 CR-V a brown leather interior. The brown accents will likely pass onto the door cards and other cabin parts. We also expect that faux wood accents could be used in the cabin to help increase its premium feel. 

Honda could include some colorful accent stitching on the dashboard and the seats for the sportier crossover variants.

The Japanese automaker may even add ambient lighting to the mix to help spice things up inside the 2024 CR-V.

Hybrid technology

Hybrid vehicles have slowly risen in popularity in the Philippines as more and more automakers are bringing them in to help car buyers save on fuel costs. 

That said, we expect that the 2024 Honda CR-V will also be made available locally with a hybrid powertrain. 

It will reportedly be available with a 2.0-liter hybrid powerplant paired with two electric motors that output 207 PS and 335 Nm of torque. Like the turbo model, a CVT and an all-wheel-drive system will likely be available. 

Honda Sensing

Like the current version of the Honda CR-V, we expect the all-new model to retain the Honda Sensing safety suite. 

We expect the new version of the CR-V to come with a complete set of airbags and other features such as lane keep assist, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and much more.

The addition of the safety suite will keep it in line with the other models in the local Honda lineup that also have it, such as the Honda HR-V and Honda Civic (Specs | News). 

As the 2024 Honda CR-V is set to launch in Thailand soon, we could expect it to make its local debut in the Philippines a couple of months after its first ASEAN debut.

Will the all-new Honda CR-V be a potential contender for your compact crossover money?