Honda has introduced their new two passenger CR-Z hybrid sport coupe, and it is definitely not your parents's kind of hybrid. While this car does come with a gas-electric drive system and quite decent fuel economy, it's not really intended for the typical hybrid buyer.
Instead, Honda designed the CR-Z for the young enthusiast who in the past would have embraced the two-person Civic CRX, popular in the 1980s. The main difference between the CR-Z and the CRX is the hybrid drive train, but that's something a young consumer would tend to embrace along with the sporty features of the CR-Z because it involves intriguing new technology.
Prices for the CR-Z begin at $19,200 (plus $750 freight) for the base model with a six-speed manual transmission, and $19,850 with a continuously variable automatic. Our tester, though, was the EX model, which begins at $20,760 with the manual gearbox, or $21,410 with the CVT.
We had the most expensive version, the EX with navigation and the CVT ($23,210). The EX also is offered with the manual gearbox and navigation for $22,560. The CR-Z is built on a modified chassis of the current generation of the Honda Insight five-door hybrid hatchback, which is not to be confused with the original Insight, introduced in early 2000. That one, though, was a two-seater, like the CR-Z.
But unlike the first Insight, the CR-Z sport coupe is more about the driving experience than getting great fuel economy. For the best performance, the manual transmission is recommended. But the CVT offers better fuel economy - 35 mpg city/39 highway versus 31/37 for the manual. The first Insight, though, achieved a remarkable 49 city/61 highway.
The CR-Z is priced slightly lower than the current Insight, which starts at $19,800 (plus $750 freight). That price includes the CVT; no manual is offered. There probably won't be many Insight or Toyota Prius buyers going for the CR-Z, as the gas mileage is their big draw. The Prius has EPA ratings of 51 city/48 highway, while the Insight's ratings are 40 city/43 highway. But neither one of those cars is much fun to drive.
For those who are after even better mileage, Honda plans to introduce a hybrid version of its Fit subcompact later this year, with fuel economy closer to that of the Prius. While it shares some of its underpinnings with the newest Insight, the CR-Z has a slightly more powerful gasoline engine, helping to give it a much sportier feel.
Under the hood is a 1.5-liter, 122-horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine, combined with an electric motor, in a system that Honda calls Integrated Motor Assist. As with other Honda hybrids, this system is more dependent on the gasoline engine than the electric motor. The gasoline engine, with its "intelligent" variable valve timing, does most of the work, while receiving boosts at startup and during hard acceleration from the 13-horsepower electric motor.