Honda Breeze: CR-V but different

For the new Honda Breeze, we peek over the Chinese border again to see what Honda is up to. Honda has two joint ventures in China that separately sell almost the same models, although they want to differ from each other in terms of name and appearance. We recently told you all about Honda’s approximately six billion different versions of the HR-V, and this time we’re looking at a bigger new SUV: the Breeze.

The outgoing generation Honda Breeze.

In July, Honda unveiled the completely new and already sixth generation of the CR-V. The new CR-V is also coming to the Netherlands in slightly modified form. Of course, Honda isn’t going to sell its new competitor of cars like the Toyota RAV4 just in the United States and Europe. The CR-V is also appearing in dozens of Asian markets, including China. As mentioned, Honda has two partnerships in China: Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda. Dongfeng Honda will simply sell the new CR-V in China as a CR-V. However, GAC Honda adapts the model and puts it in the window as Breeze.

The new CR-V. Note the front fenders and the hood, they are completely different, just like the front. Special for a ‘version of’.

It’s no surprise that the new CR-V will be called Honda Breeze at GAC. The outgoing CR-V generation is also marketed as Breeze by that partnership in China (photos 10, 11 and 12). AutoWeek has found the first photos of the new Honda Breeze from the database of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and they show that the new Breeze, like the previous model, differs from its CR-V brother on the outside. The new Breeze will have a completely individual look. In fact, Honda even goes so far as to give the car its own front fenders and its own hood. This is exceptional for a model that has not been fundamentally changed. The new Breeze has its own headlamps and a much more traditional front without the huge gaping maw like the new CR-V has. The new Breeze also differs greatly from the Breeze at the rear. The SUV will have its own taillights that do not extend beyond the rear window, its own tailgate and of course a different rear bumper.

The 4.72 meter long new Honda Breeze does have the same 2.7 meter long wheelbase as the CR-V. According to their registration, the copies in these photos all have a 193 hp 1.5 turbo engine under the hood.