After many concepts showing us how the design of this new compact has been slowly refined over time, we finally see the production version of the new Honda CR-Z unveiled as a 2011 model year car at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.
From what I can tell the CR-Z is a two-seater and it is powered by a sole engine option – a 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine mated to an IMA electric motor. Honda says this is the first hybrid car designed with style and fun taken into consideration as well as efficiency and economy. That is why other than a CVT that you usually see with Honda’s IMA system, you also get the standard option of a 6-speed manual!
Even if you can’t be bothered with a clutch, you can swap cogs with paddle shifts and when in Sport mode, the transmission is programmed to stay within a certain gear even if you hit the rev limiter, which means you will bounce off the limiter instead of the CVT automatically upshifting on its own. This is the preferred ‘sports mode’ behaviour for many.
The 1.5 litre hybrid system’s peak output is 122 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 173Nm of torque from between 1,000rpm to 1,500rpm. This is of course the peak torque that is achieved only when the IMA motor kicks in to boost acceleration, but it’s still very very nice torque figures from just a thousand revolutions! Should be quite fun! The IMA motor is rated at 14 PS and 78Nm and is powered by a 100V IMA nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The system also has brake energy regeneration and auto start-stop.
The production CR-Z has a three-mode drive system that allows the driver to switch between Sport, Normal and Economy driving modes. You can choose between these modes via three backlit buttons to the left of the steering wheel (presumably to the right in a right hand drive car). Sports mode is as its namesake – sportier throttle response, EPS steering weight and how often the IMA motor kicks in to assist with power.
In addition, the RPM meter inner ring changes its illumination to red. In Economy mode, this inner ring changes between blue and green depending on how efficient your driving is – you know you’re driving fuel efficiently when the ring turns green. Normal mode has a similiar behaviour, but with a more balanced setting instead of a full eco-friendly mode.
What we see here is the American version but the blue-ish European version shown above will also feature daytime running lights with 8 LEDs running across the edges of the two headlamps.
The chassis sits on MacPherson struts at the front and a H-shaped torsion beam at the rear. Compared to the Insight, the CR-Z has a 115 mm shorter wheelbase and is 295mm shorter in overall body length. Standard wheels are 16×6 inchers wrapped with 195/55R16 tyres but optional are 17×7 inch wheels with larger 205/45R17 tyres. There is ABS as standard, with disc brakes at all four wheels.
No prices yet though! View a full hi-res gallery after the jump.
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.
Honestly i love it… and the shark fin is kinda cute..
baboon
I kinda like it, but why hybrid only??
Nicely designed…but hybrid only>?!
Wao, nice ride. I like the design of it..
the meter cluster looks futuristic…..
beautiful!!
pftttt ugly to me
tHe^CuLpRit said,
January 12, 2010 @ 5:59 am
I kinda like it, but why hybrid only??
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bcoz Insight already lost to Prius to be the most efficient purpose-built hybrid in the market, maybe honda wants to claim the sportiest purpose-built hybrid trophy.
So a re-do on the 1999 Insight
Whats new?
Now, please sell it with a proper engine….I want my CRX back.
Even though it's a hybrid, it's still a petrol car. Why so many people are getting so "irritated" with the CR-Z just because it's a hybrid sports car?
Cmon guys, do you know what a hybrid car is? It's Petrol + Battery. Not battery alone. Haiyaa~~
wow…a very nice desgined car indeed. But from side view of the back of the car, it gives me a 308 feel….But who cares??? I love this ride….
dont like it
Yeah…. Like this car too…
The interior is cool.
out b16 inside..crx reborn! ;p
Actually it is kinda "ok"…
as we are now more focus on the "greener" car..
perhaps, Honda wanted to show that they have the capability to produce Hybrid Sport Production Road Car ?
Since the AE86 has made its way to return,
why not the CRX?
with a lil touch up of the IMA, the CRX will sound special..
in short, free advertisement everywhr..
Maybe the Sera is on its way as well with the current name "Prius 2+2 coupe"…
6 speed MT with auto cruise?? I nvr seen manual with auto cruise. How to use?
Cool .. Will it ever make its way to bolehland?
the driver's cockpit looks like cockpit from ferrari 458..nice.
design needs some time to like, confirm it is only a 2 seater? not pratical if it is but hv a little suspect it could be a 4 seater…
(so into the new Aveo design still)
Nice car… so futuristic.
Nice design but does not thrill you the way the CR-Zs in the 80's did, or maybe you just need to see the actual car to tell. What is next? the Prelude perhaps?
Paul, one of the interior pics show an Auto Transmission. Is that an option?
I never like honda's dashboard..it seems does not connect to the whole design theme. civic for eg.
Damn ugly, looks retarded.
Go for green, not for ugly green 'shrek' of a design.
Haha..FYI. Honda already produced Manual with AUTO CRUISE back in 1995 if not earlier.
The CR-Z is really car of the future . very nice car! It has 3- opitions to choose for driving : Sport, Normal , and Economic. THREE Salute for HONDA .
mu77 said,
January 12, 2010 @ 9:40 am
6 speed MT with auto cruise?? I nvr seen manual with auto cruise. How to use?
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Better drive more cars.
All my cars are manual and had Auto Cruise. Even the local 1.6 Satria 5 speed had autocruise.
no, it's not a sport car.
techboy_88 said,
January 12, 2010 @ 8:47 am
Even though it’s a hybrid, it’s still a petrol car. Why so many people are getting so “irritated” with the CR-Z just because it’s a hybrid sports car?
Cmon guys, do you know what a hybrid car is? It’s Petrol + Battery. Not battery alone. Haiyaa~~
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Not sure if you have driven the original CRX. Small, very lightweight, very fuel efficient, and decent power and handle well. The del Sol was a bad excuse for the CRX replacement. In fact, it has been sorely missed since 1992.
Hybrids are heavy due to extra componentry and batteries….
"Sports" and weight don't go together.
Manual with auto cruise? Means we only change the gears but leave the throttle off the right foot. Right?
If I have one…i'll find a very dark n quiet carpark…starwars soundtrack – check! motorcycle helmet – check! n…pew-pew! pew-pew! hahahaha…this is one fun car…
want one!!will it be coming to Malaysia??really hope so..
LOVE IT! ITs always HONDA, the Power of Dreams. THis is what we call moving forward
, for those who dont like this car, get it real when you compare the ugly dugong vios and yaris LOL!
pulge said,
January 12, 2010 @ 11:26 am
Manual with auto cruise? Means we only change the gears but leave the throttle off the right foot. Right?
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Auto cruise only used for well…cruising. Ie. top gear, highway speeds.
i like the DASHBOARD……….
not bad…but this need a type r engine…the price has to be below 200 or else ppl will go for scirocco
Will this car sell in Asia? I kinda like it.
Next gen Honda mayat.
I like it but i wan 4 seats!!!
Manual can also use cruise control. Settings is more or less the same except that the cruise control would be deactivated when you press the brakes or the clutch
may take years to come to bolehland…..
if reaching our shore, do expect it to be priced that cost a leg and an arm.
wish my civic could transform into this
nice!!! now with the options of cvt, haha~
nice.. hybirids give you better low end torque and fuel economy, and like other sport purist, its just an orginal Insight but more sporty
the rear looks like Prius la….copycat…..eh how come nobody comment on this….oh ya….its a Honda.
this looks good seriously. but the dashboard lights….nono
This car needs the Type R treatment. Slap on some nice aero kit, red interior, bucket seats, stiffer suspensions, moar power and a KERS launch option
Type R CR-Z FTW!
I like. Picture does not give justice to real life looks of the car. I like when the logo was on the grille, but then peoeple needed to placd their plate number's somewhere I guess.
My friend have old wira 1.5 manual with auto cruise.
Previous CR-X is bugged by plenty of reliability issues.
Hope this will not repeat in new CR-Z.
Why does the design look so messy. It lacks coherence.
manual with auto cruise.
the auto cruise will disable one you kick in the clutch, just like when you kick in the brake.
i've driven Vauxhall Insignia with 6MT + auto cruise
Day deSIANG said,
January 12, 2010 @ 1:16 pm
I like it but i wan 4 seats!!!
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It is a 4 seater….sort of laaa coze the back seat look more like a sculptured bench….the old CRX (not del sol)also got a back bench which really look and felt like a bench.
fugly
the power of dream… awesome..
seriously ugly
not my cup of tea. the front overhang is too long..
and i think this 1st crz concept is way cooler
http://www.allpar.com/photos/shows/chicago/CRZ.jp…
my gripe is with the suspension. based on that alone i wouldnt buy the car.
otherwise design is good but takes some time to get used to. especially since they have to follow the crz theme of old.
Technology evolves. Technique & tuning also evolved so much in just few years time. Torsion beam today is not the same one few years back. Even driving honda city with rear torsion beam is much better compared to independent rear suspension on new cars from non-japanese, non-europe, non-malaysian cars.
Also, there's a mentality of hybrid = not good, electric = not good; which I believe their perception will reverse if they know what Tesla Roadster can do. I believe Honda managed to get the batteries much lighter & compact hence they can make this CR-Z hybrid a sporty car.
Mind you, one cannot compare power rating between an electrical motor and an internal combustion motor. An electrical motor can deliver instantaneous power/torque at the start of the rotation.
(talking about mentality/perception, some people still stick DOHC / dual cam sticker on their cars…while its no longer a better configuration; but only another configuration)
For a hybrid car… (not a pure performance car), this is way cool man!
I reckon if it makes it to our shore, bodykits will sell like pisang goreng panas. If the price is sensible enough, I'll buy.
interior quality same as City … got look but not solid… cheaps cake~
stupi car
very2 nice interior, but exterior sux..
Ugly backside
i think that a car is not judged only by the look but also other many many factors but there's some general basic requirements or fundamental qualities that a good car must possess. As a machine, it must be reliable, balanced, and practical for a start. To be realistic, in Malaysia environment, adding the IMA battery is only a turn off because it means more parts to maintain, more chance for breakdown, and more expensive to buy. The battery so small it can only recycle otherwise wasted power but doesn't help the performance at all, 122hp? More efficient, yes…but only at greater costs. As a style icon like mini cooper, just ask the mini owners, will they still buy the car if mini is owned by honda but not bmw? Look at how the mini has grown in size and weight, but it is still have the go-kart handling dna in its blood. So it's too soon to say CRZ sucks just because of the extra weight because weight is also something crucial to handling, because we cannot modify our car like those GT body kit or F1 air tunnel developed wings to add weight when we need it. Having said that, to really bring back the nostalgia to those type R addicted so called honda heads, it'll just sell better if just cut the CVT and IMA crap and shove a K20A under the bonnet and bring down the price for malaysia market. As for the looks and desirability….no photo an compare with the real flesh and bones lah, otherwise why pay for expensive tickets to go motorshow oh?? KLMS 2010, here i come…
The cockpit is rather futuristic, hands up for ideology strategy. but the downside its a 2 seater. Therefore it could hardly be coming into Malaysia. The greatest part they manage to face-lift is the front (Exterior) future designs are applied based on Honda-City, in which the side view from front (Exterior), its rather short, but at a closer view it basically looks normal. In short, the CR-Z is worth the value of price if its sold at the par of Civic Hybrids. Sadly, due to the engine of new sport type of the CR-Z, the price of it will take time before its affordable. Despite of pricing, the value will stay put when it drops at a certain extend. A quick example, (1990s Honda Civic Hatchback EK and EG models), it has be wanted by the market until today since its been produce.
Regards:
Chang Eugene
Honda Enthusiasms
is it true this model going to be launched in malaysia this year?