Honda CR-Z Hybrid 2011

Shifting to smaller and lighter-weight vehicles is about the quickest and easiest way to reduce the environmental impact of our cars. But compact cars have never been big sellers in the United States. Could Americans be seduced to downsize their vehicles with an attractive and sporty compact hybrid?

First unveiled two years ago at the Tokyo Motor Show, the sporty two-passenger Honda CR-Z Hybrid is back again in Tokyo in 2009. This time, Honda is closer to a production model—about “95 percent” of the way according to company officials. Honda has committed to introducing a range of small hybrids, with both the CR-Z Hybrid and Honda Fit Hybrid due out in 2010. It’s too early for mileage or pricing info, but we expect mpg in the high-30s and a price tag in the low $20,000s.

The Honda CR-Z’s 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine is mated to Honda's proprietary Integrated Motor Assist technology and a six-speed manual gearbox. That would make the CR-Z the only hybrid on the market with a manual transmission.

Light, sporty and futuristic are the keywords. The design features an oversized front grille with small openings on each side of the front panel. The CR-Z clearly borrows its overall shape from the Honda CRX sports car, a version of the Civic that was produced from 1984 to 1991. The CRX used a small and light profile to translate directly into sporty and speedy. “CR-Z” stands for “Compact Renaissance Zero,” which is meant to signify the company’s desire to give birth to a new era for compact highly efficient vehicles.

Honda CR-Z engineer discusses development

Honda’s long-anticipated CR-Z hybrid sports car has made its world debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. A natural successor to the popular CRX of the 1980s and 90s, the CR-Z promises a blend of fuel economy and a sporty driving dynamic.

As expected, the production version of the CR-Z which debuted at the Detroit Auto Show closely mirrors the concept shown earlier at the Tokyo Motor Show. The road-going version of the CR-Z retains the show car’s overall shape, but does lose the concept’s futuristic headlights.

Powered by a gasoline-hybrid engine, Honda says CR-Z stands for ‘Compact Renaissance Zero.’ However Honda explains how they ended up with the CR-Z name, the car is an obvious successor to the popular CRX hatchback of the 1980s and early ’90s.

The CR-Z features a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology. Overall output of the system is 122 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque. Despite those rather meager figures, the CR-Z achieves just 36/38mpg city-highway in CVT form, with the standard manual transmission dropping those numbers to 31/37. Still, the CR-Z is slightly more efficient than your typical sporty hatchback.

One of the CR-Z’s more unique features is its three-mode drive system. This allows the driver to tailor the driving experience to actual conditions or personal preference. Some drivers may prefer to conserve fuel at all times. Some drivers may prefer to have all of the CR-Z’s power on tap at all times, while other drivers may prefer to have a combination of the two but with the option to pick either, depending on the situation.

The CR-Z’s interior follows the design theme of “Hi-tech and Sporty,” achieved by a very futuristic instrument panel. The CR-Z’s gauge cluster can glow in three different colors, depending on which driving mode is activated (Econ, Normal or Sport). Honda also designed the interior to seem very airy and spacious by using mesh material on a simple framework. Overall, the CR-Z’s interior looks similar to that of the Honda Insight.

Pricing has yet to be officially announced, but expect pricing to start in the low $20,000s. We will report back with more on that front as we near the CR-Z’s launch date later this year.

For now, enjoy the recently released video by Honda in which Terukazu Torikai, the chief chassis dynamics engineer, discusses the development of Honda’s next sporty offering in the CR-Z. Torikai points out the sources of inspiration for the development of the CR-Z, which not surprisingly included a Mini Cooper, but possibly more surprising – also included a Lotus Elise.

Honda CR-Z Wraps come off new hybrid sports car at Detroit Motor Show

Here's the car that Honda hopes will finally make hybrids cool! This is the CR-Z – which made its world debut in production form at the Detroit Motor Show and will go on sale in the UK in the summer, priced at around £17,000.

Billed as the world's first hybrid sports car, it is powered by Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, which is shared with the Insight. However, the CR-Z gets a larger, 1.5-litre engine with 102bhp and a 20bhp electric motor. Together the system produces 122bhp and 174Nm of torque.

The engine drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. It emits 117g/km of CO2, returns 56.4mpg and does 0-60mph in around nine seconds.

The styling mixes cues from the Civic with those of the Insight and although the sharpness of the production model has been toned down compared to the original concept car, it still stands out. Inside, the cabin borrows further themes from the Insight, with a dashboard that glows blue.

What's more, drivers can choose from three driving modes which change throttle response, steering, idle stop timing, climate control and the IMA’s assistance.

Underneath the skin is a shortened version of the Insight’s platform with a wider chassis and a shorter wheelbase. Honda says the 2+2 layout means there's room in the back for children or small adults. Unique spring and damper settings also feature, in an attempt to make the CR-Z as sporty to drive as possible.

A high performance Mugen version is expected to go on sale in 2011.

Honda CR-Z promises

2011 Honda CR-Z – Click above for high-res image gallery

After a few weeks worth of leaked images and brochure fluff, Honda has finally pulled the covers off its next new production hybrid hatchback. The Japanese automaker claims the CR-Z will bring back the kind of driving joy that hasn't been felt since the CRX last left dealer lots in 1991, saying that owners will embrace this new mild hybrid with both their hearts and minds. We certainly hope they're right.

While we're really digging the looks of the CR-Z and the way it hearkens back to the classic CRX and even the original Insight hybrid, we've gotta admit that we're a tad bit disappointed with the specifications. With 122 horsepower on tap and just 128 lb-ft of torque from the 1.5-liter VTEC four-cylinder with Integrated Motor Assist, shouldn't we expect more than 36 miles per gallon in the city and 38 on the highway from the CR-Z?

Let's just hope that the car's driving dynamics live up to the lofty standards to which Honda is eluding – at least there's an optional six-speed manual transmission to go along with the expected CVT automatic. We'll know soon enough know how it goes down the road, as the 2011 CR-Z is slated to hit the ground running in the summer. In the meantime, check out our live images below and click past the break for the press release.

2011 Honda CR-Z

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2011 Honda CR-Z

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Honda CR-Z Sports Hybrid

TOKYO — Honda launched its sporty new hybrid CR-Z on Thursday, vowing to uphold quality amid spectacular safety woes at its archrival Toyota.

Japan's No. 2 automaker said it hopes the sleek two-door hatchback will appeal to a younger set or empty-nesters who want a "green" car with a bit of pizazz. The car will go on sale in Japan on Friday and in the U.S. and Europe by midyear.

"Product quality is extremely important to us," Chief Executive Takanobu Ito said at a news conference.

Ito declined to comment on the troubles facing Toyota Motor Corp., whose president Akio Toyoda faced questioning Wednesday by lawmakers in Washington over massive recalls that total about 8.5 million vehicles globally. Toyoda partly blamed the problems on expanding too rapidly.

Far from gloating about Toyota's struggles, Ito highlighted the challenges facing automakers as they expand abroad. When Honda grew rapidly around the world in the 1990s, it also experienced an increase in complaints from customers, he said.

Honda Motor Co. said the Japan price for the CR-Z is a relatively affordable 2.268 million yen ($25,300) for the basic model and 2.498 million yen ($27,900) for the top-end model. Prices elsewhere haven't been decided yet.

The car is Honda's attempt to bring a bit of flair to the hybrid market. Designs have been dominated by the boxy lines and sloping roofs of four-door sedans like Toyota's Prius, which was Japan's best-selling car last year. The CR-Z features a compact profile and roadster look.

Its debut comes two weeks after Toyota recalled nearly 440,000 Priuses and other hybrids for faulty brakes amid complaints about a slight delay in the brakes working in cold conditions or on bumpy roads. Toyota has since begun fixing the problem by reprogramming the brake software.

Honda says its braking system for hybrids uses different technologies from Toyota's, and it has not received complaints from owners of hybrid cars that their brakes don't work properly.

Honda CR-Z: 21st-Century CRX

Honda's CR-Z hybrid coupe remains on track as a 2011 model, on sale in late 2010. Honda wants sports-car enthusiasts to buy it not because it's green, but because it's fun. The carmaker considered doing a non-hybrid version of the CR-Z, but it desperately wants to be seen as a hybrid supplier on par with Toyota and believes it needs a range of dedicated hybrid-only models to achieve that.
2011 Honda CRZ Side View
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So the CR-Z gets a lively 140-horse, 1.8-liter Civic-derived engine. The IMA system -- motor, battery, electronics -- will be like the Insight's, as will the platform, to save cost. A senior engineer says, "It must be fun to drive, must remind you of the original CRX." And a manual gearbox will be offered. "CVT is fine for the market, mostly. But we are Honda! We must have a manual!"

As a two-seater, the CR-Z's smaller body mass versus the Insight should make up for the weight of the bigger engine, brakes, and tires. So a 2800-pound total, with lots of electric-assist torque and a revvy gasoline engine, should make it the real deal as a pocket performance coupe.

Honda has trimmed back its sports cars. President Takeo Fukui said the company has canceled the Acura NSX replacement, though engineers say it may simply be deferred. And the rear-drive Acura range has been canceled. Honda is out of Formula 1. So the CR-Z must be to Honda in the 2010s what the CRX was to Honda in the 1980s.

The other leg of Honda's small-car hybrid tripod, the Fit hybrid, also is going ahead for a '10 release. To give the Insight a lower overall height than the Fit, for reduced aero drag at highway speeds, the fuel tank was moved from under the front seats in the Fit to under the rear seats in the Insight. Speeds in the EPA test aren't high enough to make aerodynamics a factor, so the Fit hybrid may match the Insight's fuel economy label, and offer more space and versatility, for less money. It will interesting to see how the marketing guys handle that one.