Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV, manufactured since 1995 by Honda. It was loosely derived from the Honda Civic. There are discrepancies as to what "CR-V" stands for. Mike Danko states that it stands for "Comfortable Runabout Vehicle", although sales literature in the UK has reportedly made references to "Compact Recreational Vehicle". Some also believe it stands for "Civic Recreational Vehicle".

Honda began producing the CR-V in Sayama, Japan, and Swindon, UK, for worldwide markets, adding North American manufacturing sites in East Liberty, Ohio, in 2007; El Salto, Jalisco, Mexico, in late 2007; and Alliston, Ontario, Canada, in 2012. The CR-V also is produced in Wuhan (Hubei province) for the Chinese market by the Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company, a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corporation.

The CR-V is Honda's mid-range utility vehicle, slotting between the smaller HR-V and the larger Pilot.

First generation (1997–2001)

Introduced in Japan in 1995 as a concept, the CR-V was Honda's first in-house designed SUV by Hiroyuki Kawase. The CR-V was introduced in Japan at Honda Verno dealerships only and was regarded as a luxury vehicle in Japan due to the exterior width dimensions exceeding Japanese Government dimension regulations. For North American market, it was displayed at the 1996 Chicago Auto Show and went on sale in February 1997.