The Honda CR-Z is a sport compact hybrid electric vehicle marketed as a sport hybrid coupe. It combined a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain with sports-car features including a standard six-speed manual transmission and 2+2 seating, except in North America, where it was offered only as a two-seater.
Honda CR-Z at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Class | sport hybrid coupe |
| Sales began in Japan | February 2010 |
| Sales began in the US | August 2010 |
| Production ended | end of 2016 |
| Hybrid system | sixth-generation Integrated Motor Assist |
| Gearbox | six-speed manual, standard |
| Seating | 2+2, two-seater in North America |
| Concept shown | Tokyo Motor Show, October 2007 |
| Name meaning | Compact Renaissance Zero |
| US emissions class | Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle |
| Predecessor in spirit | second-generation CR-X |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the CR-Z.
History of the Honda CR-Z
A hybrid that wanted to be fun
The CR-Z was seen as a spiritual successor to the second-generation Honda CR-X, sharing similarities in name and exterior design. In the United States it was classified by the California Air Resources Board as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, and it was the third Honda hybrid offered with a manual gearbox after the Insight and Civic Hybrid, and the only one in its class to offer that option.
From concept to production
The design followed two earlier Honda hybrid concepts, the Remix of the 2006 Los Angeles show and the Small Hybrid Sports of Geneva 2007. The CR-Z was first shown as a concept on 23 October 2007 at the Tokyo Motor Show; Honda said the name stood for Compact Renaissance Zero, reflecting a renaissance in compact car design. It appeared in America at the 2008 Detroit show, and a revised CR-Z Concept 2009 was displayed at the 2009 Tokyo show. The production car was introduced in January 2010 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Market life
Sales began in Japan in February 2010 and in the United States in August 2010. The CR-Z used the sixth generation of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist technology, first introduced with the original Insight. Production ended at the end of 2016 to make room for the Accord Hybrid and Clarity. The CR-Z name had been used earlier, as a grade of the 1985 and 1986 Honda Ballade CR-Z sold alongside the Ballade Sports CR-X in Japan.
Design and features
- Manual hybrid: a six-speed gearbox in a hybrid coupe.
- Integrated Motor Assist: Honda’s sixth-generation IMA system.
- Sports-car brief: two seats in America, 2+2 elsewhere.
- CR-X lineage: a visual and spiritual successor to the 1980s coupe.
Honda CR-Z versions
- CR-Z (2010): the production hybrid coupe.
- CR-Z Concept (2007 and 2009): the show cars that preceded it.
- Ballade CR-Z (1985–1986): the earlier Japanese trim that used the name.
The CR-Z follows the Honda CR-X in spirit and joins the Insight in Honda’s hybrid range. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda CR-Z, English Wikipedia: concepts, IMA, gearbox, markets, production end
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