2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sports Coupe - Tip-Toe Through The Tulips, First Drive

Being Green Can Be Fun...!

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
Amsterdam Bureau
The Auto Channel

AMSTERDAM, April 28, 2010; It is an exception when a car manufacturer chooses The Netherlands for an international launch of a new model. But Honda Motor Europe made the move and offered international journalist the best of the low lands: nice weather and a colourful scene of the tulip fields in full bloom. Fun indeed.

Does that also apply to the car we were driving for the first time, the hybrid CR-Z? You might remember the Insight, with its different body style for the sake of aerodynamics. It was the first hybrid model for sale in North America at the end of the nineties Less exceptional, but still different looking was the design of the other hybrid, the Toyota Prius. While you could say the Honda Civic sedan was more mainstream. Even the recent Honda Insight needed some adjustment of taste.

But with the new sports coupe, Honda brings back the idea of a fun two-seater. Not only by some of its looks – like the rear part. But also a price that will give the CR-Z a fair chance in the competitive segment. Sure, a base price of 26.390 Euro means serious money, but the CR-Z is well worth this. Please do not compare the Dutch price with what you are used to in America: there is quite a considerable tax on cars here!

Honda will announce prices for the American market closer to the introduction date later this summer, but expect them to be in the same region as of the Toyota Prius...

The new Honda is already a hit in its home country. Honda hoped to be able to sell this year some 14,000 CR-Zs in Japan. But sales during the first 7 weeks after the market launch there, already totalled 15,000 units…!

Also in The Netherlands, the distributor estimates that sales will exceed the planned number of 1,000 units. “Since we now are part of Honda Motor Europe, instead of the North West Europe regional division,” said spokesperson Leo Jegen, “it is easier for HME to accommodate us, in case the demand is larger than expected.”

Sporty, Green…or both?

With the new CR-Z, Honda wants to prove that green can be sporty. Therefore this model is the first hybrid with a manual transmission driving the front wheels.

The CR-Z is also Honda’s first with a parallel hybrid system, that assists the gas engine during acceleration and acts as an electrical generator when lifting the throttle, or during braking. In this case the gas engine is a112 hp 1.5-liter iVTEC four cylinder power plant with 107 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.

The electric motor is placed between the gas engine and the transmission and delivers 14 hp at 1,500 and 58 lb-ft of torque The IMA hybrid system also incorporates start-stop, which is an asset in achieving low mileage. Honda claims 5 liter per 100 km, or 47.7 mpg

The CR-Z weighs only 2467 lbs thanks to its relatively heavy hybrid system. Nevertheless, the Honda accelerates in less than ten seconds from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h or 124 mph. Because you have a relatively low seating position it all feels quicker than it is in reality.

The engine responds quickly to input from the right foot of the driver, and the transmission is well adjusted to optimally work together with the hybrid system. Its maximum pulling power is already available at a low 1500 rpm.

There is a choice of three modes, Sport, Normal or Econ, which you can recognize in the instrument panel by respectively the red, blue and green colors. Leaf symbols in the display also show how economical you are driving. The start-stop system works hardly noticeable, as the restart is quick and inaudible.

As usual, the Honda cockpit is well executed and the dashboard looks futuristic, with a slew of well-positioned controls and nice colors. Younger drivers will love it. And that is good, since Honda is targeting mainly young couples between 21 and 45 years. But I’ll guarantee you that also older customers will be attracted.

The seats are sporty and give a lot of support in corners. It is a pity though that the design does not allow for more than two child seats in the back. The CR-Z is a 2+2, that can be used in case of emergency to transport four. But the passengers in the rear should not be there longer than five minutes. In North America the Honda only comes as a two-seater with the possibility to haul somewhat more luggage.

Another thing is the bad view through the rear window. Just like before with its predecessor, the CRX. Never mind, if you like the CR-Z, you will overcome and just use the outside mirrors.

The handling of the Honda is surprisingly firm, the steering feels a little bit ‘distant’ in Sport mode, but normally it is direct and light. The suspension provides a comfortable ride on tarmac, but is a bit bumpy on the cobble stones that lead us through the small villages in between the tulip fields.

The CR-Z is a nice and dynamic looking car, with a sporty drive, by hybrid standards that is. Being green can be fun, although you may not expect the character and agility of the CR-X. But no doubt, with the CR-Z, Honda again confirms its image of a technical well-advanced car manufacturer.

Click PLAY to watch the promo video