Honda CR-Z Concept
Posted on 01.06.08 12:17AM under Honda
Honda will use its home turf, the Tokyo auto show in October, for two world debuts of concept vehicles that are testaments to the automaker??™s engineering prowess.
In addition to our first look at the all-new Fit, the i-DTEC diesel-engine technology, and the all-new Puyo concept, Honda is unveiling a hybrid sports car it dubs the CR-Z.
The CR-Z is a foray into lightweight sports-oriented hybrids, utilizing a new gasoline-electric hybrid engine from Honda.
Honda says CR-Z stands for ???Compact Renaissance Zero??”an expression intended to capture the idea of a renaissance in the design of compact cars.??? In layman??™s terms, this car will be an attempt to break the mold for hybrids and compact cars alike in offering a ride that is practical and efficient, as well as fun to drive and look at.
Honda blends a futuristic streamline effect with the sporty look of today with this concept, a feat made possible because of undisclosed breakthroughs in Honda??™s hybrid system, making it less bulky and easier to package.
Although the CR-Z borrows some styling cues from Honda??™s first hybrid??”the quirky but boring Insight??”it also looks a lot like the cult favorite CRX compact, expecially in the vertical glass section at the rear. The low-slung grille and the aggressive headlights underscore the point that this is not your typical hybrid, even though the CR-Z maintains a conservative and practical profile.
Other notable exterior features include LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, high-performance Brembo brakes, and dual exhaust tips exiting through the rear bumper, further affirming the inherent sports theme.
The overall motif continues inside, where the feel is sporty, simple, and spacious, with a bit of the Jetsons thrown in for good measure. The steering wheel, the rearview mirror, and the e-brake lever appear to be production Honda parts.
But that??™s where the similarities between the CR-Z and your Civic end. The instrument cluster and the center console are vibrant, with colorful glass artwork, looking as if they were taken from the bridge of the starship Enterprise. In addition, the seats, the dash, and the other panels are quite minimalist??”in keeping with concept tradition.
The Insight, which was discontinued in 2006, was Honda??™s last dedicated hybrid platform. When the automaker announced the demise of the Honda Accord hybrid for 2008, it said work was continuing on a new dedicated hybrid architecture for 2009, which will likely first be used to underpin a five-passenger model, with something like the CR-Z following perhaps a year later.
We’re all for the CR-Z; a hybrid that strays from the typical cookie-cutter extraterrestrial look is overdue, and who better to do it than the people who put the first hybrid on U.S. roads, only to lose the green mantle to Toyota and the popular Prius?
We would like to see Honda throw some of that i-DTEC diesel technology into the CR-Z??”or any U.S.-bound car, for that matter??”but we??™re not holding our breath.
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