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Honda is updating its V line of crossovers for 2023. The HR-V is the big news. But we’re still tracking the 2023 CR-V updates, too. For 2023 the HR-V is moving up from the small Honda Fit platform to the new Civic platform, which will make it not only larger but likely a lot more powerful.

But, the current CR-V also rides on a Civic platform. So, will they be playing in the same size sandbox now?

We only have a few details on the upcoming 2023 CR-V

Honda CRV Patent | Honda

The CR-V is slated for an update, too. The last time the CR-V was all-new Barack Obama was still in the White House. If Honda wants to compete with the new RAV4, its chief rival, the new CR-V will have to be substantially updated.

Honda hasn’t released any details about the 2023 Honda CR-V yet, but the company did take our a patent on the new SUV that shows what looks like a longer SUV. Could that mean a third row? If it does, that means the CR-V will grow to compete with the three-row Honda Pilot.

The CR-V is now in its fifth generation. Each generation has changed the look, but not really the size. It’s always been a roomy, five-passenger SUV powered by four-cylinder engines. While the CR-V has always been tall and it looks like it can tackle off-road duties, it’s based on a Civic so on-road manners were are the top priority. It’s also been rated as one of the most reliable SUVs in its class.

The Toyota RAV4 is its chief rival

2022 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road compact crossover SUV in white driving through a city
2022 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

In the midsize, five-passenger, SUV space the RAV4 is a bestseller. It outsells all of its competitors, including the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Subaru Forester, and Nissan Rogue. It’s starting price of $26,525 puts it near the lower end for the class, but it comes in 12 different versions that take that base price to nearly $40,000.

From the off-road-ready TRD version and the Hybrid, the RAV4 is a versatile SUV that seems to top best-of lists.

The RAV4 is reportedly going to see a facelift for 2023. It won’t be all-new like the CR-V, but the same RAV4 has been sold here since 2019.

What could the HR-V updates mean to the CR-V?

2023 Honda HR-V Sport in Urban Gray Pearl
2023 Honda HR-V Sport in Urban Gray Pearl | Honda

The HR-V has always been the CR-V’s smaller brother. Now, with the HR-V growing to more directly compete with the CR-V, will the CR-V grow?

The HR-V is going to be longer, wider, and sleeker, the company says, with “improved dynamics and powertrain responsiveness.” The previous generation of HR-V was based on the Fit platform, which meant it was smaller and had less powerful engine options. Moving to the Civic platform allows the HR-V to compete in pretty much the same size class as the RAV4 and CR-V. Honda can also address one of the HR-V’s chief gripes, its underpowered motor.

The bigger and more powerful HR-V means that the 2023 Honda CR-V will likely grow, too. We will have to wait on Honda for now to learn more.

Related: 2022 Honda CR-V, What We Don’t Like About This Popular SUV

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.