Honda CR-Z to be built

By Steve Moody

First Official Pictures

24 October 2007 11:51

Surely hybrids are worthy but dull? What’s going on with the slinky CR-Z?

The CR-Z is only a concept at the moment, but it’s been given the green light to go into production by Honda president and CEO Takeo Fukui, and what you see here is a very close representation of the finished article. It’s a lightweight two plus two sports car powered by an as-yet unnamed petrol-hybrid IMA motor which should hit dealers globally in 2009. Honda believes that if you’re going to use hybrid technology, it should be in as lightweight a car as possible – opposing Toyota’s view which is to shoehorn hybrids into bigger and bigger Lexus models. Honda thinks that professional young thrusters with little responsibility but lots of environmental awareness, rather than rich middle-aged executives, are the major growth market for hybrids. The CR-Z is smaller than a three-door Civic and Honda thinks it’s on to a winner here, with the small sports coupe served pretty poorly, with the ageing C-class Sport Coupe and forthcoming Volkswagen Scirocco about the only contenders.

The CR-Z certainly looks the part with its sparkly ivory paint job, gaping air intake, and icy-blue LED stare. By the time it reaches production the side windows will probably be a little deeper but don’t expect too much normalisation – a radical, sexy model like this could propel Honda ahead of Toyota in the stakes to be seen as the number one hybrid constructor on the planet. While on the outside, once the good-as-useless wing mirrors and expensive LEDs are replaced for something a bit more serviceable, the interior is still on Planet Concept Car with lots of backlit clear blue plastic indented into the cockpit. But there’s more than a hint of the Civic in the deep and watery blue dials, and the effect is very cool indeed.

By Steve Moody