ALTHOUGH the words hybrid and performance have never been mutually exclusive (look at the Lexus line-up), the words hybrid and fun are far less frequently seen in the same sentence. Now throw in “relatively affordable”, and the current automotive landscape has no answers. Well, except perhaps for the car on these pages, Honda’s CR-Z, claimed to be the world’s fi rst hybrid sports coupé…
Honda says the CR-Z combines the environmental advantages of an efficient and proven hybrid drivetrain with the sporty driving appeal of a sports hatch. It’s a tall order, but there’s a lot to suggest that Honda’s got much of the CR-Z right.
Let’s start with the design. Although Honda is adamant that the CR-X coupé of the ’80s was not a direct inspiration, one look at the CR-Z’s split-window tailgate and sloping roofl ine suggests otherwise. Honda says aerodynamic effi ciency was the main determining factor of the CR-Z’s offbeat design, which also explains why it copies some of the slippery lines from the original Insight hatch, a car that achieved a stunning Cd figure of 0,25. Honda has not yet published a drag coefficient for the CR-Z, but the car is undoubtedly slippery.
However, the aero-emphasis has also resulted in unique looks. The front-end with its big smiley grille is somehow both recognisably Honda yet also completely fresh – local cars come standard with LED daytime running lights and blue-hued xenon lamps that lend an air of high-tech to the car’s face. In profi le the CR-Z looks particularly good, with its short wheelbase, dramatic roofl ine and chunky rear wheelarches immediately creating the impression of something sporty. Viewed straight from the behind, however, the CR-Z looks decidedly odd, with inward-tapering side panels and that high tailgate giving it an almost bread-van look not unlike a Citroën C4 Coupé. Still, full marks for originality.
The interior is even more bizarre. Fronting the driver is a facia with a decidedly space-age look to it, especially when it comes to the instrumentation. At start-up everything is illuminated in a blue tone, with white lettering. However, hit the Sport button and the colour changes to red, while light-footed driving will see the hue automatically change to green. In fact, it would appear that the CR-Z’s instrumentation was designed to lure the driver into a more eco-conscious mode. The minor instrumentation includes an “eco-drive bar” that indicates whether you’re drawing or saving energy and even a little digital plant that grows leaves if you are particularly light-footed. It certainly has a positive psychological effect on the driver, as you try to improve on your “score” all the time.
Sadly, the rest of the cabin is not as impressive because the plastics feel particularly lightweight. In terms of spaciousness the front occupants are well catered for. The driver’s seat features height-adjustment and is nicely supportive. However, the rear “seats” – they aren’t really – are nothing more than padded packing spaces. Even when the driver is a really short person – and the rear occupant similarly proportioned – head- and legroom are very tight. Access isn’t great, either, because only the front passenger seat has a latch on its backrest to tilt it forward, and even then the base doesn’t slide automatically. The boot is fairly small, too, accepting only 152 dm³ of our ISO blocks, expandable to 536 dm³ with the rear backrests folded down. At least there’s a space-saver spare wheel under the boot’s floor.
The CR-Z is powered by a petrol-electric drivetrain consisting of a 1,5-litre engine similar to the one used in the Jazz and an electric motor located between the engine and the clutch. The electric motor adds up to 10 kW and 78 N.m of torque at low to medium engine revs and the result is a combined output of 91 kW (at a Honda-like 6 100 r/min) and 174 N.m of torque, available from as low as 1 000 r/min. We achieved a best 0-100 km/h time of 10,17 seconds and top speed is 200 km/h. On the go, the CR-Z actually feels livelier than its outputs and performance figures suggest, the electric motor adding supercharger-like low-down grunt and responsiveness. The batteries are charged by the petrol engine on over-run and via the regenerative braking system.
Overall, dynamically the CR-Z appears to have a split personality. At lower, day-to-day speeds there’s not much to suggest you’re driving a little entertainer. The steering is precise but artificial in feel, the ride firm but well damped (if not particularly quiet) and all the time you’ve got the enviro-obsessed facia urging you to go slower and use the Eco button, in which case throttle response and steering weighting are dulled. The CR-Z also features auto stop/start, the electric motor doubling as a starter.
Undeniably the CR-Z’s CO2-tax, busting 117 g/km emissions rating is a big trump card, as is the related 5,0 litres/100 km claimed fuel consumption. But our fuel index of 6,0 litres/100 km is a far more likely figure.
Start pushing it hard, and the CR-Z is transformed. A beautifully precise six-speed manual transmission, good body control and a nice, low-slung driving position make it hard to resist the temptation to hit the Sport button and let rip. In Sport mode throttle response is good, aided by the extra torque from the electric motor, and the steering is nicely weighted. The engine note is also surprisingly sporty, adding to the fun-todrive character of the car. But it’s the suspension that surprises most, though, as there appear to be some traces of liftoff oversteer in its make-up – but only when pushed really hard and with the ESP off. It comes as no surprise to hear that Japanese drift king Keiichi Tsuchiya assisted on the CR-Z project. Unfortunately a number of testers noted high levels of road noise, perhaps Honda’s weight-saving measures included cutting on sound-deadening materials…
TEST SUMMARY
There’s much to admire about the Honda CR-Z. The claimed economy figure is mighty impressive – though in reality not that easy to achieve. And while it is no fire-breathing hot hatch, the CR-Z is undeniably fun to drive.
However, it runs into problems as soon as you add some pricing perspective to the equation. At R300 000 you can buy any of a number of fun, really fast hot hatches (Mini Cooper S/Ford Focus ST), a number of style leaders (Volkswagen Scirocco, Alfa Romeo Mito) and even some frugal turbodiesel hatchbacks with similar performance and comparable real-world economy, while offering more space – enter BMW 1 Series.
As a result, the CR-Z, groundbreaking as it is, is destined to appeal to those who want a particular marriage of statementmaking style, driving fun and green status far more than a car that ultimately makes economic or practical sense.
