2010 Detroit: Is Honda’s new CR-Z a new-age CR-X?

By John LeBlanc DETROIT - No far out concepts like the P-Nut from last month's LA show. But fans of fun and frugal should be excited about the production debut of the 2011 Honda CR-Z two-seat hybrid. Over the past few months, information about the CR-Z has been leaking like a sieve. Here's what Honda officially released: Set to go on sale later this summer, the CR-Z is heavily based on the existing front-drive, five-passenger, five-door Insight hatch's bits and bites. Changes include a larger 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine with Honda's compact and lightweight Integrated Motor Assist hybrid-electric system with 122 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque, versus the Insight's 1.3 unit with 98 hp and 123 lb-ft . The Insight's CVT will be available. But like the original 1999 Insight, a six-speed manual is the base gearbox. Combined with a lower curb weight, hopefully this means the new CR-Z will be quicker than the Insight's sloth-like 12.7 seconds crawl to 100 km/h. The CR-Z introduces a new three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between Sport, Econ (Economy) and Normal driving modes. The inner ring of the tachometer illuminates red when the vehicle is in Sport mode (ooooooo!!!) Honda says fuel economy estimates are coming in around 36 mpg (6.0L/100 km) city, 38 mpq (6.2L) highway on CVT-equipped models. What do you think? Does a two-seat hybrid make sense to you? Do you think the CR-Z can line up to its billing as a new Age version of the 1983 to 1991 CR-X? [Source: Honda]

Comments