The Honda CR-Z hot hatch hybrid is the first eco-friendly sports car and it provides good power (in ‘SPORTS’ mode), fun handling, great fuel economy (in ‘ECO’ mode) and a snappy 6-speed manual gearbox that inspires you to keep changing gears to feel the car with you. Now let me give you my test drive review to explain further.
If you have driven the Honda Insight, do not assume that the CR-Z drives like it. The CR-Z is a totally different animal and one that needs to be driven to be appreciated.
Stand back and take a good look at this car and your will realize that its shape is much curvier than expected and it is more compact than it looks, too. The door swings open with ease and you slip into snug fitting race like seats. In front of the driver is a multi function steering wheel that has a nice feel. The driver and front passengers get a surprisingly inviting interior. The steering adjusts to get a near perfect drive position. The meter display is too busy for our liking but informs the driver of all the necessary and more that is going in under the hood. You feel like you are commanding a small jet fighter.
Ignite the engine and the 1.5 i-VTEC SOHC engine is quiet. Cabin insulation is good and only when you take the engine revs up does the cabin enjoy some piston notes. The good news is that the Honda engineers have not lost their automotive soul after the impressive Civic Type-R. Find an open highway after a toll booth and this CR-Z continues Honda’s recent returning form of building cars that are good to drive, although in this case the most impressive chassis characteristics are the ride quality and refinement. Honda has given the CR-Z a ride that allows the suspension to stay in place during hard cornering. As a result, that immense refinement is paired to an extremely responsive chassis, which is also blessed with plenty of grip and almost zero body roll. Even the steering is nicely weighted and gives full feedback. Grip levels are high and you could probably push the CR-Z harder and faster than we dared, but without that extra layer of feedback I just didn’t have the confidence to do so.
If you still need to know the hybrid technology of this CR-Z to further convince you of its purchase proposition, then let us give you the technology information in this next paragraph.
This CR-Z hybrid uses Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system, consisting of a DC electric motor that sits between a 1.5-liter engine and a six-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels. The parallel hybrid system assists the i-VTEC SOHC petrol engine under acceleration and acts as an electrical generator when you lift off the accelerator and/or brake. It weighs 132 pounds, including the Panasonic nickel-metal-hydride battery and power electronics, which are mounted beneath the floor of the boot. The motor also acts as the starter when the engine stops at traffic lights. The results are good The petrol engine delivers 112 hp at 6100 rpm and 107 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm, and the electric motor adds 13.8 hp at 1500 rpm and a useful 58 lb–ft of torque. Th is give a zero to 100km/h time of 9.9 seconds and top speed at 210km/h whilst delivering an average 47 mpg in ECO mode. It’s also the first-ever hybrid with a six-speed manual transmission, which is borrowed from the 1.8-liter Civic model.
Still, our suggestion is to look at the purchase proposition of the CR-Z simply as a great value coupe or hot hatch that has no rival at all in its price segment of RM115,000.
Honda CR-Z Hybrid 1.5-L Specifications
Engine:
4-cylinder i-VTEC SOHC + IMA
Displacement(cc):
1497
Power bhp at RPM:
124 @ 6000
Torque Nm at RPM:
174 @ 1000-1500
Gearbox: 6-speed manual
Acceleration 0-60 mph s:
9.9secs
Top Speed km/h:
Selling Price:
210km/h
RM115,000
