Next Honda CR-V to offer seven seats

Not sure what to think about this one, whether or not it would make sense to make one let alone for North America. Their have been various smaller SUV's that have tried the 3rd row (Rav-4 and currently the Nissan Rogue) and I don't think it's gone too well. The next full redesign for North America will be for 2017. I for one am doubtful on this, however you could make a case for the CRV to move up in size seeing as the HRV has just been introduced. Only time will tell....

by www.motoring.com.au

Honda is developing both five-seat and, for the first time, seven-seat versions of the next-generation CR-V due within two years, motoring.com.au has learned.

Sources within the Japanese car maker this week revealed the twin-model strategy, which will echo the line-up of direct rivals including the Nissan X-TRAIL and Mitsubishi Outlander, as well as the more upmarket Land Rover Discovery Sport.

At this stage it's not known whether both versions of the fifth-generation CR-V, which is due for global release by 2017, will be based on the same wheelbase – as with the X-TRAIL, Outlander and Disco Sport.

Alternatively, it could be produced with two different wheelbases like Toyota's previous RAV4, which was available in Japan in LWB V6 form.

As we've reported, Volkswagen is developing up to three versions of its second-generation Tiguan, which is expected to be available at least in Europe in short-wheelbase five-seat, long-wheelbase seven-seat and more stylish CC-style four-door 'coupe' forms.

Similarly, Mazda is believed to be working on a stretched, 5+2-seat version of Australia's top-selling SUV, the CX-5, which could revive the CX-7 nameplate and slot in beneath the redesigned CX-9 due to appear late this year.

Honda's Odyssey people-mover remains popular, but a two-pronged CR-V model range would give Honda Australia its only seven-seat SUV and potentially arrest sliding sales of the current model as the Japanese car-maker's latest Honda Pilot and Acura MDX remain left-hand drive models off limits for this market.

Once Australia's top-selling SUV, the CR-V has fallen from favour with Australian buyers, with sales of the current fourth-generation (which was launched here in November 2012 and bolstered by the first diesel variant in January 2014) slumping by almost 16 per cent so far this year with just 3235 sold.

Meantime, the CX-5 has found almost 10,000 homes to May (up more than 13 per cent year-to-date), while the newer X-TRAIL (7477 – up 45% YTD) and RAV4 (7411 – down 7.1%) have also doubled the CR-V's sales.

Even the older Subaru Forester (4423), latest Jeep Cherokee (3539), Outlander (3421) and aged Kia Sportage (3247) have proved more popular than the CR-V this year, in a segment that has lifted more than 10 per cent for the year so far.

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins admits he's unhappy with CR-V sales but expects a new marketing campaign in the second half of this year and a smaller 1.6-litre diesel variant early next year to buoy sales.

"We're not entirely happy with CR-V [sales], so that'll be a focus for the second half [of 2015]," he said. "

"We need to get on more shopping lists. Volume still pretty good but there are a lot of new entrants and we need to get amongst it."

But the biggest problem for the CR-V appears to be the customers downsizing to the Japanese brand's all-new HR-V compact SUV.

"HR-V is the second best-selling privately purchased small SUV and the vast majority is incremental... but some [buyers] have come from CR-V," said Collins.

In fact, despite only going on sale in February, the HR-V has outsold the CR-V in 2015 with 3891 registrations – well above Honda's own 800/month sales target – making it the fourth best selling small SUV and creating delivery delays of more than two months on some versions, especially high-spec variants.

"We're on track for 5000 [HR-V sales] in the first half [of 2015]. Including our June forecast we'll sell an average of 1000 HR-Vs a month. The biggest issue is supply to keep sales going," said Collins.

Thanks largely to its three smallest models – the HR-V, Jazz hatch (3700 sales – up 104% YTD) and City sedan (1037, up 57%) – Honda sales are up 24 per cent this year and on track to top 40,000 in 2015.

"We had a few sceptics at the start of the year when we targeted 40,000 sales... but now we're well and truly on track for that," said Collins, who added that returning to 60,000 annual sales remains Honda Australia's long-term goal.

Collins said the overall market's 4.5 per cent sales increase to May, putting it on track for another record year, masked much bigger growth in sales to private buyers, which at 54 per cent of the market are the highest ever, as sales to non-private customers are in decline.

Driven by free-trade agreements, price reductions, insurance claims following Queensland hailstorms and strong demand in other eastern Australian states (but not WA, which is seven per cent down as the mining boom subsides), he said the growth in SUV sales to private customers was particularly strong.

Collins said that while only one in four sales in the small-car segment – which is almost 11 per cent down YTD – went to private buyers, many buyers had migrated to small SUVs (up more than 25 per cent).

"Private customers continue to move into SUVs," he said. "Although I don't expect this kind of growth to continue, it bodes well for a good second half."

Source;
http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2015/medium-passenger/honda/cr-v/next-honda-cr-v-to-offer-seven-seats-51945