Honda will be showing various automobiles at the Tokyo Motorshow next month. Being their home turf and an Asian country, I must say the concept, near-production and production cars to be shown are definitely more interesting to us as an ASEAN country as they would be the most relevant to production cars that we’ll receive in the future.
The most exciting is probably the new Honda CR-Z Concept 2009, which is the most close-to-production concept version of the upcoming CR-Z sports car so far. No technical details have been revealed on the car so far, but I do have some nice high-resolution photos for you showing a very production-ready exterior and interior.
Word is that the CR-Z will get a 1.5 litre version of Honda’s IMA Hybrid system (the Civic and Insight use 1.3 IMA hybrid systems) and high on the wishlist of speculators so far is a 6-speed manual transmission, which is rare in a typical hybrid car where you usually see CVT and e-CVT transmissions.
Look after the jump for a nice hi-res gallery of the new CR-Z!
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Nice one… Better than hatchback civic at least. It look like Caldina from side view.
hot hatch or other segment?
The dashboard is awesome!
Paul, your Mini advert r very annoying… keep poping up & blocking your latest thread.. (sorry out off topic) u bettter do something about it
2 door Honda Insight + Front Civic…
Two door… hmm. If Honda can extend the wheelbase to something along Toyota's caldina or their own Stream… slaps four doors or 5 doors hatchback to it… IM BUYING.
p/s – PROTON… how do you expect me in support you when you can't come out with anything like this?
I'm a proud Malaysian and an avid supporter of local product… but please, put someone that have a sense of artistic & creative into your design department.
I own an advertising company and you will be surprise with how many talented & creative graduates produced by MultiMedia Uni or Lim Kok Wing working with me… so we are not short of artistic & creative talent in this beautiful country. /rant-over
@ osh_kosh
How's adblocking 'em.
Only for that if you like Paul to earn.
BTW, it is still true to the concet design. Which is good.
I bet they'd tone down the grille though.
wooowww…but d price must over rm200k..ergghhh
coz of cost n vendor ability how good the designer still can't help proton. most of local vendor very tamak n KIASU..
Wuu. de dash is awesome. Hope its cheap.
look futuristic… weird pasenger air-cond vent & have to say i had enuff with that Honda trademark steering wheel design… try something new lah..
offtopic…paul maybe u can blog about this:
http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archiv…
If only our P1 Satria look like this… but… its not.. Pity…
@Chyan,
sure is great for Paul to earn some money but maybe he could move it somewhere that not so 'poping friendly'…
is this a replacement for crx ?
@ nemo66…
i agree with you to an extend. Yes, some vendors tend to butchered the design in order to cut cost. But if we look at products from Apple Co. , even they applied the cost cutting solutions… but there's one area that the will always jaga is the aesthetic design of their products.
Look at Mazda 6 for an example… the price is ridiculously expensive for that type of car… but its sold like a hot cake simply because of the aesthetic design.
thanks Paul.. that's fast
wish some G department can work like u hehehe
nice lines!
civic-ed front fender, s2000-ed bonnet.
audi-ed front skirt.
CRX trademark small glass at the back is retained!
the dashboard gives impression of a driver-oriented car
Really like the side profile. It looks like it is moving at 100mph even it is static. It also has that old school CRX look yet it looks very modern.
I'd buy one if they bring it in cheap, but then when that happens, pigs will fly too.
I'm agree with what Kim said. Proton must improve their car's design. Malaysia do have a lot of talented graduate in automotive design and their ideas in designing new car for production should be considered by the top management.
why does honda always have the ugliest designs in the car industry? aesthetically, this things scores zero.
impressive design as usual…
kudos to Honda designers…
@ Amal…
no offend my saudara… but 90% of world population do not agree with you.
@ Kim…
I'm 99% sure brader Amal is Toyota salesman ;P
well at least the dash board looks original ..
im getting it if its under 200k … but i highly doubt so thanks to our G tax ..
This poor Amal fella must be from P1 or T. Or worst, totally without taste at all! What a pity!
2 thumbs up!!!
I'm sure Proton could come up with a unique design for their future cars. Just hope they pay more attention to details and fittings of component.
look like the previous Z4… nais ride btw…
exterior seem fine to me,but most excite is interior make me crazy ,man i'm driving spaceship cool huh?
@kim
If you'd look closely you'd see the 4 doors and 5 door hatchbacks are already on the roads ><"
Btw, do you know aina?
Fine car for a type R engine
@amal..
hey…get your eyes checked dude…you're making a fool of yourself….prffttt
Guys.. I dont know why..but concept cars is always abit wacky. So the final production cars most of the times look toned down to reality and more attractive to the eye.
I dont know how this car is gonna come out. But I hope it turns out great with a superb dynamics and the godly VTEC engine. Something tells me this is gonna come with a eco friendly IQ VTEC which for me ruins everything. Make it rev 9500rpm 240hp 2.0L 900kg wet weight. okay…i think i went abit overboard.
EK-9 CTR 4 Ever!!
Hope the steering wheels buttons control all ICE functions.. otherwise it'll be a long reach to the flat screen..
@Wen…
are you sure, man? I thought this is still a concept?
btw which Aina are you talking about man… a car or a person? lol
@amal..
I have two theories on what u r doing
1) Provocation. Work best on honda fans and anti-P1 & P2 people.
2) U really are a person with 'exceptional' taste in relative with the majority of other people.
——–
Back to the CR-Z, I think in the prod version, only the lamps and the rims will be replaced
typo.. steering wheel should be singular..
it will be a tight squeeze for a 2.0L engine in the short front end.. and will make the car too front-heavy.. perhap a 1.5L sohc engine with a supercharger is more suitable..
just go for it Honda! but safety first beauty come second!
i don mind own a Jap car instead of always dream about European car. cause Western new car price in M'sia are MAD.
But recently, Proton cars has improved quite drastically. I should give my credit to new Saga, facelifted Waja and Gen.2. The Gen.2 which is facelifted with CPS engine + IAFM, new interior trim/instrumentation and some changes on the exterior, is to me a truly great design and functionality, and I admit that the new Gen.2 facelift is really facelifted towards perfection. Keep up the good work, Proton.
The rear looks like the insight which is ugly. they should look at how lexus design the rear of the LF-C adn understand it better before concluding on theri own design, which is outright uglyat the back but beautiful up front
Honda's design is getting better and better, just look at the current range of Honda's lineup, all look very handsome, especially the accord and Jazz, very handsome indeed.
And this CRZ will get my money if the 6-speed manual is a 'real manual', and it would be greater if they put in an 1.8L or 2.0L instead of 1.5L engine, and, and ..if they put back the moonroof that I saw in their last concept version of CRZ, oh, also, pls don't tone it down anymore, I like my car crazy, oh,oh,and , and if they put the price below RM180,000!
very nice, and sporty design…i love the interior even i am toyota supporter
I see no purpose of a rear view mirror.
' Í wanna go fast and green!!! ' quote CR-Z
Really hope the rear seat is not just for ppl with chopstick legs… and pls bring these to malaysia and set the price below RM150,000 so i can affort it…
side view ok,
front view totally out.. like wild boar
interior – super cool
i like it!
i bet some korean or china car manufacturer already copying the design and features.. dont be surprise if their similar car roll out earlier than honda…
My first owned car Honda CRX left hand drive during college days…its a small and running fast car…time flies..cost about U$2K when i bought it (its a second hand, 3 years old if not mistaken, and 1990 model probably), and I sold it at U$1.2K 1995 when i left USA.
Sigh… Sure Proton, Perodua, or even KIAs n friends for that matter can come up with futuristic designs with lots of flairs n all… but bear in mind, you also need performance to match the looks. A typical sub 120bhp 1.5l engine wont go well wearing Gallardo looks… it'll be laughing stock. Thats why the Vios, the Myvis, the Citys, the Wajas n Personas, the Spectras n Rondos look the way they do. And thats why people wearing fiery GT wings on their Kenaris n Kelisas when "balik kampung" tickles me… though I admit, some look quite cool. Thats why I love this country n its people…
honda's designs has to have soul in it. some aesthetic cues. honda's s2k or prelude ba-9 and bb-9 i think have some good touch on them.
@ Amal,
Bro, I know that each individual have their own taste and preferance but seriously dude…this car is really well made (maybe not the engine…sorry I'm a performance junkie) and I know what is gorgeous since I'm a designer! U could argue on the soul or whatever issue but calling this ugly…u need to have ur eyes check bro.
_______________________uuuu___________________
i like the design… remain its cr-x genetic (lampu petak, cermin belakang and 2 doors)
This is what i like about honda… new cars but remain its genetic
The dashboard is great, just like in a jet.. hope it come with powerful and green engine
I would buy it if i could afford it
wonder how much it cost to us
— about the dashboard, the design is great but the lubang air cond seems to be not practical… the driver would freeze in cold i guess, hope they will change it for real production car
why did they change the rear from the concept?
Come on Honda lets get radical again!!
like the interior..!