The Honda CR-V 2026 with the new Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid 2026 version brings more equipment, more off-road character and more of everything that also excites overland enthusiasts. This is a car that falls into the category of Subaru Outlander and similar multifunctional cars, which are really few. As a fan of overlanding, gravel roads and functionality that goes beyond city curbs, I have always been hesitant about the CR-V. But the new TrailSport Hybrid really surprised me. And that – in the best sense
Most SUVs actually leave me pretty cold. Well, at least until they get muddy. But Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid? This one caught me right where I'm most sensitive – between roadholding and comfort. And my love for Japanese brands.
Let's be realistic: a lot of people today are thinking about SUV, to overcome... the sidewalks with more confidence. But there are also those of us - I am one of them - who, at the expression “all-terrain tires” we become alert like a watchdog with the past. When I hear “real-time AWD”, my radar turns on. And if the car still has knee airbag, then I know that someone somewhere was also thinking about long journeys to unpredictable corners of the world. And that he was Japanese.
As an overland enthusiast (and yes, a person who measures free time by the height of a roof tent), I was – well, frankly – a little surprised by the TrailSport model. Positively.
“You know, when someone mentions SUVs, I usually think of soft edges and stiff suspensions. But the Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid? That's something that positively blew me away,” I said to myself as I glanced at the rugged Continental CrossContact ATR tires and the elegantly quirky Ash Green Metallic paint.
TrailSport = Trail Ready?
First of all: this is the first CR-V with serious off-road ambitions. And while it doesn't pretend to climb Mangart (there's an asphalt road there), it has enough muscle for the 90 % in all real-world scenarios: 204 horses (152 kW), 335 Nm of torque and a real-time AWD system with smart traction control.
“It’s not a Jeep Wrangler – but for people who occasionally go to a hut, a spring or a snowy pass, it’s more than enough. And the best part? There are absolutely no fines in the city,” I say to myself when I park comfortably in Ljubljana without having to turn around in three moves.
The exterior tells its own story: TrailSport badging, more assertive bumpers, 18-inch wheels in Shark Gray. And inside? Rubber floor mats (read: dirt-proof), embroidered seat details, and amber ambient lighting that adds a special touch at night. glamping feeling.
Digital Scout
Honda is finally able to offer digital comfort that isn't just there for the sake of it: the driver has a 10.2-inch digital display, the center screen measures 9 inches, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work without the fear of spilling your coffee while searching for the cable.
“Finally something that doesn't need a cable! Thank goodness,” I thought to myself – probably still under the impression of the unfortunate USB incident on snowy Vršič, when I lost my navigation and my dignity at the same time.
But I'm more interested in fuel consumption than screens. And here the TrailSport doesn't disappoint. The hybrid drive with two electric motors ensures that liters of gasoline disappear more slowly than a weekend in the Trenta Valley. Economical, smooth and... quiet. Almost too quiet if you're used to an old diesel SUV that woke up the neighbor three houses away in the morning.
Conclusion: An SUV you won't just want for a weekend
The Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid is for those who are looking for more than just a means of transportation in a car – they are looking for a companion for hiking adventures, rainy dirt roads and spontaneous camping trips in the middle of nowhere.
“If I had it, I would add a roof tent and a toolbox to it the next day,” I said to myself before I started googling accessories. (Hint: the TrailSport accessories catalog is dangerously good.)
Price? Between over 45,000 euros / comparable dollars – if available in the EU – and of course depending on the market and equipment. Not the cheapest SUV on the market, but one of the more sensible. And above all, one of those where you won't feel like you've bought another city SUV that will shake at every gravel pothole. At the same time, this is Walking Japan – and that means a lot to some of us.
If even I, a man who swears by “real” SUVs with a soul (without knee airbags) – say that the TrailSport deserves off-road praise… then you know there’s something to it.
