With more and more buyers looking for added off-road capabilities, Honda will add a TrailSport package for the CR-V crossover. The entire line will get refreshed for 2026, the automaker confirmed, as will the smaller HR-V.
The Honda Pilot TrailSport’s unique features, including higher ground clearance, all-terrain tires and modified fenders and bumpers, will likely be echoed by the 2026 CR-V TrailSport.
Honda’s compact CR-V continues to gain momentum in America’s SUV-centric market, actually outselling the Ram 1500 pickup for the first time last year.
To keep the momentum building, the Japanese automaker plans to give the CR-V a midcycle update for the 2026 model year. And, among other things, it will add a new TrailSport package giving the compact model still more off-road capabilities.
Also coming next year, look for Honda to update the smallest crossover it currently offers in the U.S. market, the HR-V.
What’s new with the 2026 CR-V
First introduced in 1995, the CR-V is Honda’s most popular product line in the U.S. All told, American motorists purchased 402,791 of them last year, making the crossover fourth on the best-seller list behind – in descending order – the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota RAV4.
There could be some notable upgrades to the CR-V interior — the 2025 model shown here.
But the sixth-generation CR-V has been around since the 2023 model year and, in its segment, that means its growing a bit old.
Expect to see the usual sort of mid-cycle updates, with modest cosmetic changes on the exterior largely limited to “soft” materials, such as the crossover’s front fascia and bumper. We could see a bit more substantial tweaks to the interior. And there’s certain to be new and updated tech features, an area that has become an increasingly important differentiator between brands.
The most significant change for 2026, however, will be the addition of a new CR-V TrailSport trim.
TrailSport
When the original CR-V debuted 30 years ago it was derided by some as a “soft-roader,” with a taller stance than the Honda sedans and coupes of the day, but hardly able to handle more than modest gravel roads, even with the optional all-wheel-drive package. Over the years, CR-V has become a bit more capable but still isn’t what you’d call an “off-roader.” That’s about to change.
TrailSport models — like the Honda Pilot package shown here — are designed to deliver more off-road capabilities.
In 2021, Honda took a lead from competitors like Subaru, Toyota and Ford, launching an all-new brand-within-a-brand called TrailSport, hoping to win over buyers who want more rugged, off-road capabilities. With TrailSport trims now available for Honda Passport and Pilot buyers it was likely only a matter of time until a package was added for the popular CR-V.
The automaker has yet to offer specifics but it seems highly likely the CR-V TrailSport will follow the same formula, starting with what company officials described as a more rugged appearance – possibly including revised fenders, a higher ground clearance, revised bumpers making it easier to clear obstacles, all-terrain tires and even skid plates.
New drive mode options will certainly be in the package, allowing motorists to tap a button or turn a dial to have a variety of vehicle functions optimized for differing road conditions. That would include steering, transmission shifts, throttle response and the way “nanny functions,” such as electronic stability control, operate.
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The current version of the Honda CR-V is offered with a choice of gas and hybrid drivetrains.
CR-V drivetrain
Don’t expect any changes to the CR-V drivetrain, at least not from what the automaker currently is suggesting. The current options include
- A 190-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged I-4 used in base trims, like the LX and EX;
- A 204-hp hybrid-four pairing a small electric motor with a 2.0-liter I-4 found in Sport and all-wheel-drive packages.
The hybrid is likely to carry over into a TrailSport.
2026 Honda HR-V
The 2025 Honda HR-V.
The little HR-V is a far more modest seller than Honda’s midsize crossover – but, with 138,911 purchased last year it was still one of the Japanese automaker’s more popular options. And Honda is equally determined to keep it fresh going forward.
As with the CR-V expect relatively modest exterior tweaks. But Honda officials hinted that we could see more “refinement” with the 2026 HR-V. That could include such things as a larger infotainment screen or, perhaps, more digital features. There’s no indication a TrailSport version of the subcompact crossover is in the works.
Incidentally, Honda’s upscale sibling, the Acura brand. Is planning to introduce a more luxurious take on the HR-V, here to be dubbed the ADX. The Japanese automaker clearly won’t want to go too far upmarket with the HR-V to avoid cutting into potential demand for the Acura alternative.
There’s been some speculation that Honda could even introduce a still-smaller crossover to its line-up. It has one available South of the U.S. border in the form of the B-RV – which is sold in a number of emerging global markets, including Southeast Asia, as well as Mexico. Don’t expect to see that come to the States, however, unless there were to be a major shift down-market.
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