What Does ‘CR-V’ Stand for in the Honda CR-V?
The Honda CR-V is a very successful model. The popular crossover SUV has been around for a long time, but many people don’t know the meaning behind its name. So, what does the “CR-V” acronym stand for in the Honda CR-V?
What does the ‘CR-V’ name in the Honda CR-V mean?
The “CR-V” name in the Honda CR-V stands for two different things, according to Kelley Blue Book. Honda states that the acronym means “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle.”
Also, a British automotive review article used the term “Compact Recreational Vehicle,” which Honda later republished.
Most automotive companies and consumers commonly refer to vehicles such as the CR-V as crossover SUVs. With this in mind, some people think that CR-V means “Crossover SUV.”
It could also be referred to as a mix between a car and a minivan. Technically, it is a car-based model. However, while the crossover SUV term is ubiquitous today, it wasn’t widely used in the mid-1990s when the CR-V made its debut.
At this time, the crossover SUV segment was still in its infancy stage. Automakers such as Honda were likely trying to figure out what to call these types of vehicles — hence the awkward “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle” name for the CR-V.
Other meanings for the Honda CR-V name
Other people made up their own acronyms for the Honda CR-V. One is “Civic Recreational Vehicle,” since it uses the same platform as the Honda Civic compact sedan.
However, the underpinnings of the top-selling Civic gave the CR-V an edge. Plus, the popularity of the Toyota RAV4 compact crossover SUV in the United States helped pave the way for the CR-V.
There are additional meanings behind the CR-V acronym that people adopted including “Crossover Recreational Vehicle,” “Cross Road Vehicle,” and “Car-like Recreational Vehicle.” There’s also “Cute Recreational Vehicle.”
