Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Just a bit of Civic 5-door trim info and some Next-gen CR-V News

This week we've received a bit more info concerning the Civic 5-door and upcoming 2018 CR-V that we'd like to pass along.

First of all, we already know the trim levels of the upcoming 5-door, but now we know more about what each trim level will have.

All 5-doors will have the 1.5L Turbo engine (L15B7). Honda Sensing available on all trim levels, but ONLY with CVT.
LX - 6MT or CVT.
Sport - 6MT or CVT. Adds 18" wheels, fog lights, aero kit, center outlet exhaust, Leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, paddle shifters (for CVT), and aluminum sport pedals.
EX - CVT. Adds 17" wheels, fog lights, LaneWatch, variable intermittent wipers, heated exterior mirrors, lighted vanity mirror, display audio with CarPlay/Android Auto, moonroof, smart entry/push button start, remote engine start, dual zone climate control, XM and HD Radio.
EX-L-Navi - CVT. - Full navigation, leather seats, heated front seats, power driver seat, auto dimming miror, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
Sport Touring - CVT - Adds LED Headlights, standard Honda Sensing, 18" wheels, aero kit, center outlet exhaust, fog lights, 12 speaker premium audio system, turn signals integrated in exterior mirrors, 4-way power passenger seat, heated rear seats, aluminum sport pedals, paddle shifters, automatic wipers and high beams.

Watch Honda showrooms in the coming weeks. We're hearing that 5-doors should be arriving in some showrooms by the end of the month or the first week of September.

Next-gen CR-V
As for the next-generation 2018 (or will it be a 2017??) CR-V, we've heard a few items of particular interest. Word has it that Honda is pushing the CR-V a bit more upmarket, and a bit larger. The new model will offer features such as a power liftgate and memory seats (EX-L and above , of course). There's also some buzz about a possible 3rd row seating option.

On the powertrain front, we're also hearing there will likely be at least two engines offered. LX models are said to carry on with a naturally aspirated 2.4L engine (likely paired with a CVT) while upper trim levels will get a turbocharged engine. Now here's where it gets a little interesting - we're hearing that this turbocharged engine will be a 2.0T, and not the L15B7 (1.5T) that you might have expected. There's no word on which transmission this engine would be paired with, but it's our understanding that the current CVT is pretty much maxed out by the torque developed by the 1.5T. so maybe we'd see one of Honda's new in-house designed automatic transmissions which are due soon (they've patented 8-speed, 9-speed, and 10-speed ATs as well as a triple-clutch 11-speed)

Don't be surprised to see a CR-V Hybrid at some point down the road, particularly if oil prices rebound. This one would likely use a version of the excellent 2-motor i-MMD system found in the 2017 Accord Hybrid.

With the CR-V notching up incrementally in size, we're hearing that a 4th Honda CUV could be in the works. This CUV would slot into the lineup between the HR-V and the CR-V. We don't have a good read on the likelihood of this model nor its potential launch timing.

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