Honda CR-Z Review and Road Test

 

Sports cars aren’t above the environmental concerns of this generation and even Ferrari’s Geneva Motor Show-starring ‘La Ferrari’ is the Italian giant’s first hybrid. So, in that context and turning to large volume, mass-produced sports cars, the Honda CR-Z is right at the cutting edge.

 

Model changes for 2013 bring more performance for the Honda CR-Z plus an enhanced look inside and out.

 

Honda CR-Z Overview

The Honda CR-Z is a compact two-door, four-seat sports/hatchback with razor-sharp steering, stopping and cornering (that’s the ‘sporty’ part) and a 1.5-litre petrol-hybrid engine with fuel consumption of just 5.3l/100kms (that’s the ‘now’ part).

 

For 2013, performance is up and so is the price – Car Showroom tested the six-speed manual version which starts at $38,490 ($34,990 for the superseded model). And there is now only one specification as Honda has dropped the previous ‘Sport’ and ‘Luxury’ versions.

 

However Honda has ‘up-specced’ things considerably so, for example, the 2013 CR-Z comes standard with satellite navigation, reversing camera and leather seats.

 

Honda CR-Z Engine

Here’s the big news – the Honda CR-Z gets more grunt for 2013. The six-speed manual version we tested delivers 100kW of power at 6600rpm and 190Nm of torque from 1000rpm (up from 91kW/174Nm). For the CVT automatic version you can chalk-up 99kW/172Nm.

 

Under the bonnet is Honda’s SOHC 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. As part of the 2013 upgrades, Honda has switched to lithium-ion batteries for the IMA system.

 

Also new for the 2013 model is the steering wheel-mounted Plus Sport (S+) button which maximizes power delivery from the petrol engine and IMA system (it can be selected regardless of whether you’re in ‘ECON’, ‘Normal’ or ‘Sport’ mode).

 

Honda CR-Z The Interior

There’s an immediate sports car feel when you climb inside the Honda CR-Z – the now-standard leather seats (with height-adjustment) are mounted low and are snug in just the right places. New for 2013 are contrasting white stitching for the leather seats and LED lighting.

 

Then there’s the steering wheel – Honda’s usual sporty design which is just the right thickness and provides tilt/telescopic adjustment so the driving position is appropriately sporty. Pedals are alloy.

 

Instruments follow Honda’s current design and offer bold colours and graphics plus the usual aids to encourage fuel-efficient driving. We like the large central tachometer with the digital speedo display inside and the extended instrument panel components either side of the steering wheel which contain frequently used controls and are placed just right for efficient operation.

 

The Honda CR-Z is really a 2+2 so the cloth-trimmed rear seat, as you expect in vehicles like this, is really only for very occasional use by youngsters.

 

Audio is a six-speaker CD system with the usual connectivity including Bluetooth audio streaming and the navigation (centre stack screen) includes SUNA live traffic updates – the latter saved us from missing a flight when Melbourne’s Tullamarine freeway ground to a halt (again!) and we were able to detour.

 

Luggage space is surprisingly good – a flat floor and 393-litres (rear seats folded) or 225-litres when the seat is in-place.

 

Honda CR-Z Exterior & Styling

Honda enthusiast point to the CR-Z’s split rear window as a cue to Honda’s past sports cars (that’s true) but Honda designers set-out to create a 21st century sports car and original concepts maxed-out the wedge shape. That didn’t quite make it into production (they needed to put the engine in and these days pedestrian protection is a factor in front-end layouts).

 

Nevertheless, with its low, chiseled front-end (new-design front bumper and grille for 2013) and radically angled side glass, the CR-Z is funky and sporty. And the extreme curves of the windscreen are very tricky – the most extreme of any Honda model - and blend with very thin A-pillars for excellent forward vision and mid-mounted cockpit layout.

 

Lots of attention to aero too – the roof slope was honed in wind-tunnel testing, as was the exterior mirror design.

 

Other changes for 2013 include a re-designed diffuser, new blue-accent rear LED lights and handsome new two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels.

 

Honda CR-Z On The Road

Honda CR-Z was the world’s first hybrid to offer a manual transmission and after this week in the 2013 model, the six-speeder is the CR-Z we’d buy. Well, sports cars should be manuals (sorry for Ferrari with the 458 Italia!) and the CR-Z’s ‘box is a delight, providing snappy, short-throw changes and operation which is so light that even the weekday crawl was endurable.

 

The CR-Z rides on a modified version of the Honda Insight platform. Wheelbase is 115mm shorter and width is up by 45mm – so it’s wide and flat, providing the ‘chuckability’ you’d want in a compact sporty.

 

Front suspension is MacPherson strut with lightweight aluminium for the lower arms, while the rear is an H-shaped torsion beam (the shape allowing a low mounting of the IMA battery and control unit).

 

Over our high-speed mountain roads test loop, the Honda CR-Z was immense fun with its pin-sharp steering and high-standard dynamics. We liked the Honda CR-Z’s electric power steering – the three mode system provided nice weight and feel in the ‘Sport’ setting.

 

Around town the Honda CR-Z was zippy, responsive and while easy to park thanks to the standard reversing camera, a 4075mm long two-door should manage better than a 10.8-metre turning circle. 

 

Honda CR-Z Challenges

As per our previous testing of the Honda CR-Z we just wonder about the limited use of the rear seat. Making the CR-Z a two-seater would reduce weight (thus saving fuel even more) and increase the cargo area dimensions.

 

Honda CR-Z Verdict

Well it just makes sense doesn’t it? The Honda CRZ is the sort of sports car we could see ourselves owning – a fun-to-drive, razor-sharp compact sporty with ‘planet-friendly’ fuel-saving hybrid technology.

 

Its handy size makes it ideal for a weekday commuter car and those driving dynamics are spot-on for weekend fun.

 

Then there’s the attributes of the Honda brand: quality – tick, engineering – tick, safety – tick (as it has been for decades).

 

Honda CR-Z The Competition

In this price range, Honda CR-Z has no rival hybrids to contemplate.

 

Without doubt the Toyota 86-Subaru BRZ twins are ‘must-considers’ and actually offer a useable (just) rear seat. Priced around the same money as the Honda CR-Z and offering that stunning rear-drive chassis they were two of the best cars we drove last year although we hear supply may still be tight so you might have to wait a bit.

 

Also in the mix is the Hyundai Veloster with its macho looks and innovative three-door configuration (perhaps the most functional rear seat in this league). The regular Veloster ranges between $23,990 to $28,990 or you’ll need $31,990 for the tyre-burning SR Turbo model.