2026 Honda CR-V First Look: If It Ain't Broke, TrailSport It

• Honda is updating its popular CR-V, which now has a TrailSport trim.
• Are the rugged new trim level and a bigger touchscreen enough to keep the CR-V fresh?
• The CR-V faces fierce competition later this year when Toyota launches the new RAV4.

Let's talk TrailSport

The CR-V TrailSport gets a distinct paint option — Ash Green Metallic — as well as some badging and silver accents on the outside, and it comes standard as a hybrid with all-wheel drive. It also has a unique set of 18-inch wheels that are wrapped in Continental CrossContact ATR all-terrain tires. The problem is, the TrailSport treatment doesn't add any extra ground clearance compared to the standard CR-V; the all-terrain tires are only there to provide extra traction in sand, mud, dirt and so on. There's no steel bash plate protecting the engine, and nothing that would really suit anyone who does more than light trail driving. 

Inside you get heated cloth seats, some orange accent stitching on the seats and steering wheel, a wireless charging pad and some more TrailSport logos. The last tweak is a reworking of the traction control system that should result in better control of wheel slip in low-grip situations, but the change isn't unique to the TrailSport — all new CR-Vs get the same reworked system.

Unfortunately, that's about it. Honda fans seeking something more hardcore will certainly have to look toward the Passport — which we found to be quite capable. 

Anything else?

This is very much the CR-V customers already know and love. Honda undoubtedly knows that a new Toyota RAV4 is coming soon, so its decision to not bring anything in the way of serious changes might come off as surprising to some. But the CR-V is a strong performer — Honda sold more than 400,000 last year alone — and this update really is a case of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

All 2026 CR-Vs will now get a 9-inch touchscreen as standard, removing the old 7-inch display. The other change is to the top-spec Sport Touring only, which now has Google built-in tech. This grants owners access to the Google Play store for custom apps and the Google Assistant, where you can use voice commands to get answers to all sorts of questions.

The tariff question

Something that's on everyone's mind — right now, at least — is the subject of tariffs. How they'll affect the pricing of the new CR-V, Honda hasn't said, but it's worth knowing a lot of what makes up the CR-V is either manufactured or assembled right here in the United States. 

The hybrid system is assembled in Ohio, and all the parts that make up the 2.0-liter engine it's paired to — that is, the block, the cylinder head, the crankshaft, the connecting rods and the cams — are all manufactured here, too. Not only that, but the CR-V itself is assembled in two different Honda plants: one in Ohio and another in Indiana. 

Does that mean prices will stay the same? Frankly, it's too early to tell, but Honda's record for manufacturing in the U.S. is pretty strong, and that means at least some of what goes into its cars won't have a duty applied. For now, we expect the 2026 CR-V to start at just over $32,000 and go all the way up to $43,000 for the top-spec Sport Touring. Expect the TrailSport model to start at around $38,000.