Honda CR-Z: Sporty hybrid ready to zip in August
Less fuel efficient, but more sporty?
Can – should – a hybrid be sporty?
Honda has announced that the Honda CR-Z hybrid will go on sale August 24 in the US. While final pricing hasn’t officially been announced, the base model should begin at just under $20,000 and top out at $24,000 for the higher end of three trim levels.
But, we’ve already known those specs. What we really want to know is, what does it mean to be a sporty hybrid? Can a hybrid be sporty? Should a hybrid be sporty?
While ’sporty hybrid’ might sound like an oxymoron, there is no reason to believe that hybrid technology cannot provide a sporty experience; however, whether the CR-Z hybrid actually lives up to the term ’sporty’ is debatable.
According to Cars.com, for instance, the Honda CR-Z provides “unexpected comfort” and that, at least, is a good start. From there, however, the business case behind the CR-Z hybrid begins to fall apart according to Cars.com. Because the CR-Z offers less space, seating and functionality than the Honda Insight, for example, Cars.com questions whether the CR-Z offers a enough power and zip to justify its lower fuel economy compared to Honda’s other hybrid cars.
Overall, the CR-Z hybrid should average a combined 34 – 37 mpg, depending upon transmission, as the CR-Z hybrid will be offered in both a 6-speed manual transmission and an automatic transmission.
On the other hand, the Insight hybrid achieves a combined 41 mpg and the Civic hybrid 42 mpg.
Gearhead-orientated MotorTrend, ironically, found the CR-Z hybrid to be much more entertaining.
“But those willing to open their minds to a next-millennium motoring experience uncolored by expectations rooted in the past will find much to love in this small-footprint (size- and carbon-wise) sportster. The hybrid system’s Sport mode amps up the acceleration performance with extra electric assist at low rpm and dials back the electric power steering assist to a quite sporting heft vaguely reminiscent of the unassisted helm in the CRX.”
So, is the CR-Z worthy? I guess consumers will have to make that decision.
Anyway, Honda is hoping this new hybrid will appeal to the 25 – 35 year old, young professional cohort, which definitely seems to make sense, and if base pricing can stick below $20,000, maybe this is the CRX of a new generation.
Thus, if such a vehicle can excite the next generation of auto consumers to appreciate hybrid technology and the relevance of better fuel economy, as I recently speculated in Luxury, smuxury. Sporty hybrids set to fuel change, then I’d say that even sporty hybrid cars can be worthy. Schwiiiing!
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disappointed-
Most of the reviews have not been that great, although a few have found the Honda CR-Z hybrid likable. Still, this car is not going to sell many units, and that definitely makes one wonder what the point is. Unfortunately, I have not yet had the opportunity to drive the CR-Z, so I’m going to wait a bit before making my final judgment.
Likewise, I think for pure urban drivers, this car might have some potential. In such conditions, some have thought the CR-Z did actually feel a bit sporty. Still, I can understand your point that maybe Honda should have skipped the hybrid drive.
Regarding that point, however, I am interested to see how Toyota counters, considering their full hybrid powertrain offers more options.
Autoweek thought the CR-Z was just a slighty better performing Fit while Consumer Reports were not impressed with the car either as it noted that bigger luxury hybrids like the Lincoln got better gas mileage (so does the Ford Fusion and its faster than the cR-Z) the writer noted that it the end of the day he drove his 2011 Hyundai Sonata home on the same roads as the CR-Z and it was fun to drive, had a back seat and got 35 mpg. The car just isn’t sporty enough or fast enough to justify its less than stellar mpg. Furthermore, its hybrid powertrain is unimpressive as it delivers neither outstanding gas mileage nor does it give the CR-Z’s anemic gas engine enough of an assist to give the car enough of additional power to make the car fast. To me it would have been a much better car if Honda forego the hybrid system which does little for this car and made just a gasoline only engine (maybe with direct injection). If you doubt this contention just look at what Ford was able to achieve with its new Fiesta or Hyundai soon to be released Veloster which by all account will outperform the CR-Z in everyway without a hybrid powertrain and will likely undercut the CR-Z’s price by thousands of dollars.
Interesting article about living with an electric Mini here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10138911.stm
Yes, car companies need to experiment with different types of hybrid cars to see which ones will sell. I read an article recently that talked about how Ford thought the Excursion was going to be a niche product and was pleasantly surprised when families starting buying the vehicle. No one knows which vehicles sell until they comes to market. I hope they try the Element next.