Road Test: Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sports Coupé

Our world is always changing, quite quickly and radically so at the moment. Climate change and the environment are the catch phrases on everyone’s lips, with plenty of finger pointing, knee-jerk reactions and profiteering underway as a result. It would seem that despite all the talk and good intentions, the most important element, the human one, is still not being addressed with as high a priority as that of carbon taxes, carbon credits, billion dollar sustainable energy projects and the like. According to the World Bank, an estimated 1.1 billion people currently lack access to safe water, 2.6 billion are without adequate sanitation, and more than 4 billion do not have their wastewater treated to any degree. Climate change? I think we need to talk ‘humanity change’.

However, nothing exists in isolation and therefore changes within industry are important, as positive advancements in technology and efficiency filter down to us, the end consumer. The motor industry is a leading example of this and one that is seen to be doing rather than just talking. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the petroleum industry, which we all so heavily rely on. However, the movement towards electric and hybrid powered vehicles is encouraging and exciting. This is where Honda is stepping in with their hybrid vehicles and the CR-Z is the first Honda of its kind to be introduced locally, bringing with it both excitement and encouragement for the brand and the hybrid market place in general.

Touted by Honda as the world’s first hybrid sports coupé, the two-door CR-Z features futuristic styling, while also paying homage to the CRX compact sports coupé of the 80′s. Honda’s heritage is reflected in the split level rear window and the shallow taper of the roof. Overall though, the CR-Z’s lines are chiseled, sharp and taught, giving it a sporty character. The wide tapering headlights, with day-time running lights, extend towards the edges of the boldly flared wheel arches. Likewise, the flared rear arches stand proud of the bodywork, while the split level glass hatch is an aerodynamic development shared with the CR-X, Insight and FCX Clarity models.

Inside, the futuristic theme is echoed in the dashboard and instrumentation. Strong contours define the dashboard elements, which are backlit in an electric blue. As a result the instrumentation is clear and easy to read, although I remain undecided on the holographic-like nature of the centrally-mounted speedometer and rev-counter display. Honda’s familiar 3-spoke steering wheel is present, which houses controls for the cruise control and the sound system. The front seats are height adjustable, but positioned low-down for a sporty driving position, which is topped off by a set of alloy pedals and a short-throw, stubby, gear lever. The front seats fold forward via a quick release lever, revealing what is essentially a storage area made to look like two rear seats. Honda doesn’t seem to take them too seriously either as, while the front seats are leather covered, the rear feature cloth. The boot is shallow and limited but, once the rear seats are folded flat, offers a useful enough 370-litres of cargo area. Like all Hondas, the interior feels good, is well finished and feels durable.

Under the skin, the CR-Z is the first car to combine a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine and the Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. The 84 kW petrol engine is combined with a 10 kW electric motor that is positioned between the engine and the clutch. The electric motor provides 78 Nm of torque, taking the CR-Z’s peak to 174 Nm, which might not sound like much, but crucially it’s available between 1 000 – 1 500 r/min. Together with stop/start technology and the ‘Eco Assist’ function, Honda claim this hybrid setup returns 5 L/100km on the combined EU cycle and 117 g/km of CO2. However, these figures proved a little optimistic.

The CR-Z can be driven in three modes: Econ, Normal or Sport. Econ mode reduces the sensitivity of the throttle, the IMA hybrid system optimises assistance for economy rather than performance and compressor operation is reduced for the air conditioning to save energy. The driver’s instrumentation also glows green in this mode. Normal mode, with blue glow, provides a balance between performance, economy and emissions, to suit most driving situations. The CR-Z defaults to this mode on start-up. Sport mode sharpens the throttle response, initiates more assistance from the IMA hybrid system and tightens up the electric power steering. In sport mode the instrumentation glows red and it’s this mode that I enjoyed most, with the immediate throttle response that made getting off the mark less demanding from the right foot.

The Eco Assist function consists of a gear indicator prompting the driver when to change up or down, a real-time indicator showing throttle usage, as well as another display where small leaves ‘grow’ to show the driver’s eco-progress, with more leaves and eventually a flower added if the system records a ‘perfect score’. Using all the tools at my disposal and diligently following their prompts, I achieved 7.1 L/100km on a 8 o’clock rush-hour journey into Cape Town’s CBD. Someway off Honda’s claimed 6.1 L/100km and likewise, at a steady 90 km/h on the freeway, the best I could muster was 4.9 L/100km compared with Honda’s claimed 4.4 L/100km.

If you forget about the hybrid part of the CR-Z’s equation and tune in to its sporty character it begins to make more sense, although not convincingly so. The suspension is stiffly sprung, but still feels like it’s having to deal with a bit too much weight. Between corners the CR-Z isn’t as light on its feet as looks would have you believe and the standard 16-inch tyres protest easily too. The petrol engine sounds good when worked, which is what needs to be done to build up and maintain higher speeds. The 6-speed manual ‘box feels precise, like a sports car’s should, but the ratios within, particularly between 3rd and 4th gear, are too far apart, causing the revs to drop below the ideal range when changing up. The brakes are effective, with added benefit of recharging the nickel metal hydride battery while in use.

So it seems the CR-Z is neither an ideal hybrid, nor an ideal sports car, but rather it manages a balance between the two. The CR-Z’s drawcard lies in its unique identity as a car that holds the appeal of a two-door sports coupé, together with eco-friendly ideals. The CR-Z’s alternative styling also manages to attract attention from many different groups – from the young and trendy who may actually know that its a hybrid,  to the Honda fanboys, who know what its is, but gaze upon the CR-Z with ‘Type-R’ glistening in their eyes. Crucially though, the CR-Z is the crown in Honda’s hybrid model line-up, which has been responsible for stirring up excitement about their IMA technology in preparation of the similarly powered Insight and Jazz models.

Perhaps most exciting is that, considering the S2000 and Civic Type-R have been discontinued, the CR-Z is pure potential. Adding a bit more spark (excuse the pun) with a more powerful engine, could potentially bring the CR-Z on terms with the Peugeot RCZ, Audi TT and upcoming Mini Cooper S Coupé. We can already see evidence of Honda’s aspirations for the CR-Z as the next performance legend, with a Mugen bodykit already available, a ‘Hybrid R’ version under development by Honda’s North American racing division and the fact that in 2010, the company had no less than 12 modified CR-Z’s on display at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

This hybrid sports coupé may just be the spark that leads to a brighter future in more ways than one.

What we like…

• Futuristic styling with signature CRX heritage.
• Balanced chassis.
• Performance potential.

What we would like…

• No rear seats in favour of increased cargo area.
• Better spread of gear ratios.
• Less weight.

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