Is this the 2023 Honda CR-V? Next-gen Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 rivalling SUV uncovered in Chinese government filings

Honda’s all-important next-generation CR-V has been revealed in full in China ahead of its official unveiling.

Images of the new family friendly SUV surfaced on the website of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is the department responsible for homologating new models.

The pics match the patent images revealed in February and match the various spy shots that have been doing the rounds for some time.

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Honda’s exterior design is as expected, carrying a new face that’s more in line with new Honda models like the HR-V and Civic, while retaining CR-V-specific touches like the vertical tail-lights along the D-pillar.

The vehicle in the images is a Chinese market CR-V produced by Honda and its domestic partner Dongfeng so there could be differences between this version and international versions.

Some of the new CR-V’s dimensions are available on the site and as expected, the next-gen model has grown in size considerably over the current model.

According to the site, the new CR-V now measures 4703mm long, 1866mm wide, and 1690mm tall, with a 2700mm wheelbase.

That means it is 107mm longer, 11mm wider and taller, and has a 40mm longer wheelbase than the sixth-generation model that it will replace, which will liberate more interior space.

It’s also 103mm longer than a Toyota RAV4 and its wheelbase stretches 10mm longer than the Toyota.

With the CR-V getting bigger, the gap in Honda Australia’s SUV line-up will be filled by the US-market HR-V which is expected to adopt the European-market ZR-V moniker for Australia.

The freshly launched new-gen HR-V will be Honda’s entry-level SUV in Australia.

According to the Chinese government site, the new CR-V will use an uprated version of the existing 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, delivering 142kW, just 2kW more than it offers now. It is matched with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and will be available in two- and all-wheel drive.

A hybrid or plug-in hybrid version is also a possibility, but is yet to be announced.

The next CR-V will also be offered with five or seven seats, depending on the variant.

Keep an eye on CarsGuide for more CR-V updates as they come to light.