Honda launches five-year plan with a massive hybrid-first product offensive

The Honda line-up as we know it could look entirely different by the start of the next decade as the Japanese brand prepares to launch a massive product overhaul that could see most of its models replaced or renewed.

Restyled vehicles and new-generation hybrid powertrains are on the way, although the brand refresh may not include expensive new product architectures in all cases, Automotive News reports. The vice president of automobile sales for Honda America, Lance Woelfer, said: “We’ve got the capability of making significant changes without what we would call a platform change.”

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That indicates Honda could be planning to use existing vehicle architectures modernised to suit newer applications with a focus on electrified drivetrains. It’s a similar move to what rivals like Toyota and Mazda have done with their new-generation mainstream models.

Among the first of Honda’s revised models will be new-generation versions of the Accord and CR-V. Both could drop their combustion-only powertrains in favour of an all-hybrid line-up.

In Australia, Honda’s single-variant Accord has made the switch to hybrid-only power when the current-generation model launched in 2024. A non-hybrid 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is still available in other markets.

The new CR-V, which has been spied testing in North America, is also expected to make the move to an all-hybrid line-up. The development – which will see it mirror the Toyota RAV4 – would align with Honda’s broader product strategy of reducing the emphasis on full EVs.

Honda’s V6-powered models, a mainstay of its larger SUV line-up, are also set to switch to a new hybrid-assisted V6. The future for those models in Australia, including the Pilot and Passport SUVs, and the Ridgeline ute, could hinge on reports of a collaboration between Nissan and Honda.

The partnership between the two automakers could see Honda use the new body-on-frame chassis under development for five new Nissan models in North America. Nissan has hinted that a V6-hybrid powertrain is coming for those models, and the resulting product could potentially be a version of Honda’s hybrid bent six.

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Honda has already confirmed that the replacement for the current Ridgeline is due ‘within two years’ but hasn’t revealed whether it will continue with a monocoque chassis or switch to a more rugged ladder frame, like the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma rivals.

While Nissan’s new models aren’t yet locked in for sale outside of North America, the success of similar body-on-frame utes and SUVs in Australia could unlock the potential for Honda to broaden its SUV range down under beyond the CR-V. 

The product roll-out after the CR-V and Accord is less clear. Of the seven other models in Honda’s US line-up, the newly launched Prelude coupe is the only one likely to escape revision, with vehicles like the Civic, Pilot, Ridgeline and Odyssey all due to be renewed or replaced in coming years.