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.
