Honda is back in the sports car market with the launch of the technically-sophisticated petrol-electric Honda CR-Z sports car – the world’s first hybrid available with a six-speed manual transmission.
This is a sports car for our times – it looks racy, it’s zippy to drive, with a competitive 91kW on tap, yet this hybrid sporty returns fuel consumption as low as 4.4l/100kms and the exhaust C02 emissions are as low as just 111g/km.
All in keeping with Honda’s new corporate philosophy of ‘Blue Skies For Our Children’. As part of that philosophy, more than 90 per cent of the Honda C-RZ is recyclable and worldwide the company is the first automaker to announce voluntary targets to reduce C02 emissions – aiming for a massive 30 per cent cut across its range of cars, motorcycles and power equipment by 2020.
You might say the funky CR-Z is a ray of sunshine for Honda, a company hit hard by Asia’s natural disasters in 2011, losing six months production at its Japanese plants and the company’s facility in Thailand remains underwater as we write with three months production lost and counting. Despite those catastrophes, Honda says launches of upcoming major new models – the all-new Civic and CRV - are on schedule for 2012 (the Civic debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show and the CRV bowed last week in Los Angeles).
Honda CR-Z Overview
The Honda CR-Z is a nicely-styled four-seat sports coupe, available in Australia in two models – Sport and Luxury. Apart from the petrol-electric drivetrain (the hybrid system from Honda’s Insight), the Honda CR-Z boasts comprehensive equipment levels and Honda’s acclaimed quality is obvious wherever you look.
Over the entry-level Sport model, the Luxury variant gains extras including leather seats (heated fronts), panoramic glass sunroof, reversing camera and satellite navigation with live traffic information.
The full range is:
Honda CR-Z Sport (six-speed manual) $34,990
Honda CR-Z Sport (CVT automatic) $37,290
Honda CR-Z Luxury (CVT automatic) $40,790
Honda CR-Z Engine
Power comes from Honda’s now familiar 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine and Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. Maximum power is 91kW at 6000rpm and peak torque is 174Nm from 1000-1500rpm (manual) or 167Nm at 1000-1500rpm (CVT automatic).
While similar to the 1.3-litre hybrid powerplant used in Honda’s Insight, the CR-Z called for a re-design of the intake manifold and air-cleaner both to suit the smaller, lower engine bay of the rakish CR-Z and to meet pedestrian protection requirements. The engine also sits closer to the ground in the Honda CR-Z (improved weight distribution for enhanced handling).
Like all Honda sports cars – the CR-Z’s engine appeals to enthusiasts driver both in its audio track (sounds great working hard) and techno smarts (for example each cylinder deactivates one inlet valve at low speeds for reduced fuel consumption and emissions).
Honda’s IMA is a parallel hybrid system (as used in the Insight) but modified with a three-mode drive program (‘Normal’ is default and there’s ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’) and also to suit the available six-speed manual transmission (to cope with the possibility of over-revving if the driver misses a shift). Currently the Honda CR-Z employs a 100 volt Nickel Metal Hydride battery unit, but Honda’ R&D leader Norio Tomobe anticipates at some time a switch to a Lithium Ion battery pack.
Of course it’s the ‘green’ credentials of the Honda CR-Z which are just as important as outright performance. Combined cycle fuel consumption is rated at 4.7l/100kms (automatic) or 5.0l/100kms (manual) and exhaust C02 emissions at 118g/km.
Honda CR-Z The Interior
Inside, the CR-Z is a blend of sports car aesthetics and Honda style which is dynamic and modern. Technically as four-seater, you’d best restrict the rear seat to occasional use by youngsters – hey this is a sports car after all.
Honda quality is instantly obvious from the up-market material choices (Luxury models get leather seats, heated in the front) and nice trim accents (some of which are made from a new tin technology which brings extra luster over aluminium).
The dashboard layout is distinctly sporty with a central curved binnacle right in front of the driver featuring the speedometer which changes colour according to the selected drive mode (red for sport). Surrounding this are nice, brightly coloured instruments with secondary information such as battery charge and fuel level and a bar graph for instantaneous fuel consumption.
The sports steering wheel adjusts for rake/reach and combines with the nicely bolstered sports seats to deliver a great driving environment.
Audio is a six-speaker CD/MP3/Bluetooth/USB system with speed-sensitive volume compensation and steering wheel remote controls. Honda CR-Luxury gains satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates plus DVD video.
Luggage space is impressive – 225-litres with the rear seat in place or with one-touch you can fold that to deliver 401-litres and sufficient length to stow two full-size golf bags (not many sports cars have that convenience).
Honda CR-Z Exterior & Styling
Honda fans will be quick to point out some external cues to Honda’s hugely popular CR-X compact sports cars from the 1980s - Honda calls it a ‘one-motion wedge’ concept and the all-new CR-Z again runs Honda’s distinctive shallow sloping roof and split level rear hatch glass.
Honda CR-Z is compact – overall length just 4080mm and width is 1740mm – with a complex front-end, intense contours and a steeply rising beltline for the side windows. All very modern and dynamic.
The windscreen wraps around to the side windows, making the bonnet appear longer and there are clever rain gutters in the front pillars for better aerodynamic efficiency.
In fact aerodynamic efficiency was a constant them in Honda CR-Z design – evident in the twin front spoiler, flared rear wheel arches, tapered rear three-quarter panels and tailgate design.
Honda CR-Z On The Road
Mr Norio Tomobe, Honda’s R&D project leader for the CR-Z was in Australia for the CR-Z launch and he described the petrol-electric sports car as a ‘Café Racer’. An apt assessment – the CR-Z was never intended to be a tyre-smoking track car, it’s an environmentally friendly sporty coupe, a large number of which will be purchased by young female buyers.
That’s not to say the Honda CR-Z isn’t fun – in fact the opposite is true. ‘Chuckability’ might not be a politically correct term these days but that’s what the Honda CR-Z has in bucketfuls – the combination of a taut chassis, short 2435mm wheels base and relatively wide track (1515mm) delivering crisp cornering and nice response to a mid-corner lift of the throttle.
Typically Honda, the 1.5-litre petrol responds well to a crack of the whip and loves to rev…of course with the tell-tale silence and the IMA kicks-in when you come to a halt.
Our test route covered the Yarra Valley, Melbourne suburbia and the Tullamarine freeway and the Honda CR-Z zipped along nicely with good response from low engine speeds.
Honda CR-Z Challenges
We only deduct points from the Honda CR-Z for road noise from the tyres – exaggerated on the coarse-chip bitumen secondary roads common in Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
Honda CR-Z Verdict
It’s great to see Honda back building sports cars. OK, the CR-Z isn’t a replacement for the rip-snorting Honda NSX, but the world has changed and so has Honda. As we said, ‘Café Racers’ is not a term to sneered at rather a reflection of where sales are at for sporty coupes.
We like the looks inside and out, we like the driving dynamics and practicality and there’s no denying the credibility and environmental credentials of petrol-electric hybrids. This is a sports car for our times.
And, starting from $34,990 the Honda CR-Z is priced competitively against its rivals.
Honda CR-Z The Competition
Honda lists the main rivals for the CR-Z as the Audi A1 (starting price $29,990) and MINI Cooper (starting price $25,500). But you need to carefully check specifications – for example to match the 91kW of the Honda CR-Z you’re looking at $31,500 for the MINI.
And do the two Germans measure-up as sports cars like the impressive Honda CR-Z?
Honda CR-Z Likes:
Dynamic looks; hybrid efficiency; dynamic driving experience.
Honda CR-Z Dislikes:
Road noise on secondary roads.
