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.
