2007 Honda CR-Z Review

Specifications

Do you remember when Honda was one of the sportiest car companies around? It made an awesome little three-door hatchback named Civic that was the darling of tuners around the world, followed up by the three-door CRX fastback based on the same platform, also highly tunable, and then, as the flagship sporty model it made the oh-so hot Prelude, still stylish after years of extinction … RIP. Even the third-generation Accord was cool, with a raked profile and pop-up headlights. So what’s wrong with the brand now? Not a heck of a lot, actually, at least from a highly reliable, extremely profitable point of view. It’s just not the performance brand it once was. Don’t get me wrong, as its Civic Si and Accord are fabulous fun, and more capable from 0 to 60 or through the corners than anything from the brand’s past, but other than the new Accord Coupe, not much in the lineup looks particularly sexy.

Honda seems quite aware of this, which is why it introduced a little concept named CR-Z in Tokyo that’s created quite the buzz in the automaker’s home market as well as in North America, where I first saw it in Los Angeles, at that city’s International auto show, as well as in Detroit. Why it’s stirring up emotions is obvious, as it takes a number of key design cues from the beloved CRX, yet moves the sporting ideal much further forward than the CRX ever did. What’s more exciting is that it appears Honda is serious about bringing something like the CR-Z to market; a compact, affordable and efficient sports car.

If you’ve been reading these pages over the past year or so, you’ll know that Honda has been showing a number of different small sports coupe concepts around the world, including the Remix and the Small Hybrid Sports Coupe concept, teasing fans that became fans of the Japanese carmaker because of its sporty past. It seems, however, with the new CR-Z Concept Honda is closer to its goals of producing such a vehicle than ever before.

While the new concept’s name might sound familiar, the letters of this acronym actually stand for something: Compact Renaissance Zero. OK, the “Renaissance” bit is a bit much, and might be more appropriately given “Renewable” or “Rechargeable” for the “R” designation, but that hardly matters when contemplating what’s underneath the sleek hood. It’s a hybrid drivetrain, of course, which consists of a small three-stage gasoline engine mated to the Honda’s IMA system. The engine’s exact displacement is unknown, but I’d bet on something a little more motivational than the 1.0-liter three-cylinder mill from the Insight. Rather a 1.4- or even a 1.6-liter engine from the Honda Fit or Honda Civic, when combined with electrical assist, would give the CR-Z fun-filled performance. Then again, a 2.0- or 2.4-liter four would put a serious charge in the hybrid drivetrain, and turn the CR-Z into something that could battle it out with larger, more upscale brands.

While relatively small by today’s standards, the CR-Z is larger than the old CRX by a significant margin. How much? Overall, it adds about 12 inches in length and four inches in width, though its height has remained constant. This gives the car a long, low profile for a very sleek, yet solid look.

Importantly, the CR-Z’s design introduces a look that is much different than the current crop of Hondas in Japan, Europe or North America. Where Honda sports a chiseled, angular design language in North America, with its new Accord, updated Odyssey minivan and Ridgeline, the CR-Z is made up of flowing, almost freeform shapes that come together in a cohesive design unlike anything the brand has done in years. Still, while unique, some design elements are obviously shared with other Hondas, like the grille’s five-sided shape, and the front fascia’s lower intakes are triangular like those on the European Honda Civic. The CR-Z’s prominent hood bulge and offset headlamps give it a sporty look, and the glass panel at the rear is all CRX; an attractive yet extremely functional characteristic.

As one might expect the CR-Z’s interior is just as stylish as its sheet metal, with a unique collage of surfaces, including the expected plastics to the unexpected mesh fabrics, all done up in a white, dark gray and purple colour scheme. Speaking of mesh fabric, some of the car’s key components are actually made of the stuff, most notably the ultra-thin seats and upper dash.

Another most notable characteristic is the fact that the new CR-Z is not a two-seat sports coupe like the CRX was, but rather a more practical four-seater with what appears to be roomy, accommodating rear quarters.

And what about plans for production? It seems that the positive outpouring from well-wishers has helped the brand to realize it has a potential hit on its hands. In late October Honda’s President and CEO, Takeo Fukui announced that it would be producing a hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z, which would launch sometime in 2009.

A small, efficient, practical, great looking car is exactly what Honda needs to put a little mojo into its lineup right now. Here’s hoping it looks very much like the CR-Z.