|
Honda - that has just launched the new CR-Z hybrid in Australia - has a history of being at the top of the Formula One tree with drivers such as Richie Ginther, John Surtees and Jenson Button delivering a handful of podium positions to cars powered by the Japanese maker’s engines.
Much of the race research and development went into the company’s road cars, with the ground breaking NSX supercar, for example, giving the European exotics a run for their money.
Honda, the largest engine maker in the world, is committed to staying out in front through petrol/electric hybrid technology with the aim of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent by 2020, based on year 2000 figures, and ultimately to zero with fully electric powered vehicles.
The company has just launched the first hybrid sports coupe – the CR-Z - onto the Australian market. While not in the same league, nay on the same planet, as the NSX, the CR-Z owes something in looks, especially around the chopped off tail and rear glass, to two of its forebears, the high revving buzz box CR-X of the 1990sand later Insight, the latter the first hybrid to make it to Australia.
Honda says the aim is to change people’s perceptions of hybrids as hi-tech vehicles with average performance and turn them into stylish driver focused fun cars. To this end the new CR-Z has effectively created its own category of car.
The sporty, aerodynamic looking three-door coupe is powered by a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine coupled with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist electric system, mated with either a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission.
Output for the combined petrol/electric system is put at 91kW and either 174Nm (manual) or 167NM (CVT), while fuel economy of 5 litres per 100km (manual) and 4.7 litres/100km (CVT), and carbon dioxide emissions of 118g/km (manual) and 111g/km (CVT), both on the combined urban/extra urban cycle, are claimed.
Honda’s has come up with a unique three-mode drive system which tailors steering, throttle response and IMA assistance to sport, normal or economy patterns simply by means of buttons on the dashboard to the right of the steering column. ‘Sport’ sharpens throttle response, ups electric motor assistance and attributes a more positive feel to steering; ‘econ’ puts fuel economy above all else through operation of the drive-by-wire throttle, ECU, air-conditioning and hybrid system; ‘normal’, the default mode, balances performance, economy and emissions to suit most driving conditions.
‘Sport’ also allows the driver to make use of steering wheel-mounted paddle shift gear changes with the CVT.
How well the driver is doing in saving the planet is tracked by the system. Speedometer lighting is used a la Insight to provide feedback to the driver on how he or she is doing on fuel saving and cutting nasty emissions. In addition, instrument lighting is linked to the three-mode drive System. In ‘normal’ and ‘econ’ modes a ring around the deep set 3-D speedometer is blue, switching to green when the CR-Z is driven economically. In ‘econ’ it also has a green eco flower lit in the mode indicator; in ‘sport’, the speedo surround constantly glows red.
The CR-Z comes in two well specified variants – Sport and Luxury. Sport comes with a choice of six-speed manual transmission with Hill Start Assist or a Continuously Variable Transmission with Creep Aid System and steering-wheel mounted shift paddles. Auto stop/start mode adds to fuel efficiency.
A five-star ANCAP safety rating comes via Vehicle Stability Assist, Traction Control and ABS anti-skid braking with Brake Assist and Brakeforce Distribution. Brakes are discs (ventilated front) all round. The front suspension is MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam, and the CR-Z runs on 16-inch alloy wheels and has a temporary spare.
AM/FM audio has CD player and MP3 compatibility with steering-wheel mounted audio controls; USB connectivity with iPod integration and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity with steering-wheel mounted controls.
Cloth-trimmed seats are fitted with active head restraints, seatbelts have pre-tensioners and there are duel side and full length curtain airbags and child safety seat anchorages. Daytime running lights and LED tail lights are standard as well as front fog lamps and rain sensing front wipers. Rear park assist is linked to the multi-media information display
The Luxury model is available only with CVT plus Creep Aid System and steering-wheel mounted paddle shifts. Leather trimmed seats are heated at the front, there’s a panoramic glass roof.
Satellite navigation incorporates live traffic updates, a DVD player is on hand, as is Bluetooth audio streaming. Reversing is made easier with a camera, while rear park assist is an option. With all this high-end technology it’s easy to forget the basics of a vehicle. While there are four seats fitted, the rear positions are virtually unusable because of the absence of any leg room whatsoever, even with the front seats positioned for average build occupants.
The CR-Z is strictly a 2+2 and would be of far more use with the rear seat backs folded flat to give extra luggage space (up to 401 litres, including under-floor storage) in the boot. On the upside, headroom is generous, as is shoulder width. The car is 92 per cent recyclable, a figure that includes the battery pack, thus putting it on terms with a conventionally powered vehicle.
The CR-Z does live up to its hi-tech hype with performance, ride and handling to go with its sporty looks. Due to a lack of manuals on launch I was able to drive only a CVT. However, a colleague who did, insisted the manual was faster, more economical and more satisfying to drive than its CVT sibling. Both versions go on sale this week with a starting price of $34,990.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING*:
Honda CR-Z Sport 6-speed manual $34,990
Honda CR-Z Sport CVT $37,290
Honda CR-Z Luxury CVT $40,790
(*Excluding government costs and dealer delivery charges)
|
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
