If this is the mid-cycle refresh for the 2020 Honda CR-V, expect light exterior changes and the introduction of the hybrid to the American Market.

Built on the 10th gen Civic platform and with a host of competitive engines, the 5th gen Honda CR-V has been nothing short of a home run with the CR-V having its best year ever last year coming close to 380,000 CR-V’s sold. 2020 we expect a mid-cycle refresh and if this CR-V spied by @that_500000_mile_civic_guy has any say in the CR-V we’re getting for 2020, as far as the exterior goes, it’s much of the same.

Here’s the CR-V he spied in Greensboro on Interstate 40 below.

The biggest exterior difference that may not even make it to the 2020 Honda CR-V are those trapezoidal exhausts reminiscent of the ones on the 2.0T Accords, except inverted. The current CR-V does with round ones.

Perhaps Honda is trying to further differentiate the RDX and CR-V which both have round exhaust outlets. If those are really duals then this isn’t the Hybrid which would do with just a single exhaust.

Spy shots of the CR-V before hid the rear tail lights but it looks like those remain unchanged. Hidden, this time, are a set of red reflectors on the bumper so perhaps Honda has cleaned up the rear a tad.

As mentioned, the CR-V Hybrid has already debuted in Shanghai and is sold worldwide so I fully expect Honda to carryover that powertrain for this mid-cycle refresh.

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The biggest issue for the CR-V, at this point, is oil dilution for their turbo engines. Supposedly, Honda has addressed this issue with a software refresh, and in some instances, a new A/C unit. You’d better believe Honda is going to get the software for their 1.5T engines right for MY 2020, no matter where you live. Oil dilution was more of an issue for CR-V owners in colder climes.

This CR-V, as is, is a winning formula, so it makes sense Honda won’t change much.

Expect this new CR-V to hit the presses and showroom floor after Summer.