How do you improve on one of the five best-selling vehicles in America? By getting it muddy. For the 2026 model year, Honda will add a rugged TrailSport variant to its best-selling CR-V compact SUV.
Other updates include a larger touchscreen, plus wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at every trim level. Honda has not announced pricing for the 2026 CR-V. The 2025 model currently on dealer lots starts at $31,495, including a $1,395 delivery fee.
TrailSport Comes to the CR-V
TrailSport is Honda’s term for an off-road specialist model. Some TrailSport models are impressive off-roaders, like the 2025 Honda Pilot TrailSport, which has an off-road-specific suspension, increased ride height, and real skid plates to protect the undercarriage.
Automakers can’t easily add that much off-road gear to a mainstream compact SUV while keeping the price in check. So the CR-V TrailSport will not be as well-equipped. It lacks actual skid plates, settling for “a more ruggedly styled front fascia with a silver skid garnish,” Honda says.
But it gains standard Continental CrossContact ATR all-terrain tires, which should give it better grip in mud and sand. Orange TrailSport badges and black trim details set it apart visually. Inside, it gets amber lighting, embroidered TrailSport logos, and easy-clean rubber floor mats.
The TrailSport model comes only as a hybrid, giving it 204 horsepower, and with all-wheel drive (AWD). Standard features included heated front seats and steering wheel, a moonroof, and a power liftgate.
Tech Updates to All Trims
Every trim level gains new cabin tech, including wireless charging and wireless mirroring of both Apple and Android phones. Every trim level now gets a 9-inch touchscreen, eliminating the smaller 7-inch model featured on lower trim levels in 2025.
All-wheel-drive models gain a new “enhanced traction management” system that kicks in below 9 mph, helping them cope with slippery surfaces.
Honda says the new CR-V will reach dealerships in the spring. Honda builds it in three factories in North America, including the East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, the Indiana Auto Plant, and the Alliston Auto Plant in Canada. But the CR-V uses imported parts, Honda notes, so it will not be spared from tariff-related price increases.