Honda is reportedly revising its North American production strategy for the next-generation CR-V and Civic. The redesigned CR-V is now expected to enter production in April 2027, several months later than previously anticipated, while plans to build the next Civic sedan at Honda’s Indiana facility have reportedly been scrapped.

The next CR-V has not yet been revealed, although its premiere is expected before the end of this year or in early 2027. The new model is set to receive a more efficient hybrid powertrain designed to cost less to produce.

CR-V production shifts to Ontario first

Production was initially penciled in to begin around January 2027. Under the revised schedule, manufacturing is expected to start at Honda’s facility in Alliston, Ontario, before production begins in the United States.

North American output during the first year is now reported to be 41,315 vehicles, representing a 6.7 percent reduction in monthly production compared with the earlier plan.

The reason for the delay has not been established. However, the current CR-V continues to post strong sales. Through the first nine months of the year, Honda sold 336,844 CR-Vs, an increase of 9.5 percent. September sales reached 34,788 units, up 17 percent from the same month a year earlier.

The CR-V was Honda’s best-selling model during that period and sold nearly twice as many units as the Civic, which recorded 17,724 sales in September. The current CR-V has been on sale for four years.

Indiana Civic production reportedly canceled

Honda had previously planned to begin building the next-generation Civic sedan at its Greensburg, Indiana, plant in May 2028. Unnamed supply chain sources now claim that plan has been abandoned, although the information has not been independently confirmed.

The Indiana facility is also expected to produce the next-generation CR-V. Removing the Civic sedan from the site would leave more capacity for the SUV, which currently sells in significantly higher numbers and is more profitable according to the source material.

The new Civic sedan is still expected to enter production at Honda’s Ontario facility in April 2028. Ending Indiana production of the Civic hatchback would mean that version is imported from Japan instead.

New platform and hybrid hardware

The next-generation CR-V and Civic are set to move to Honda’s new mid-size platform. The architecture is reported to reduce weight by 198 pounds, or 90 kilograms, compared with equivalent current models.

Hybrid variants will use a direct-injection 2.0-liter inline-four engine paired with new electric motors. They will also feature the S+ Shift simulated gear system used by the Prelude.