Toyota may have had the first mass-produced hybrid with its Prius, but the initial gas-electric model to reach our shores was the 2000 Honda Insight. That two-seater hybrid, and Honda’s sporty CRX model, provide the inspiration behind the company’s newest version, the 2011 Honda CR-Z.
Honda advertises it as a sporty model, which lifted my eyebrows, especially since its 1.5-litre four-cylinder and integrated electric motor churn out a mere 122 horses. The eyebrows lifted higher when my tester came with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) instead of the default six-speed manual transmission, which also meant a slight drop in torque from the 128 lb.-ft. with the stick shift to 123 lb.-ft. with the CVT. But as always, the proof is in the pudding – or in this case, the driving. The quick-n-nimble handling gives it its sporty feel, while putting it into the available “Sport” mode makes the most of those horses and turns this relatively lightweight car into a viable, tossable, fun-to-drive machine. Yes, really.
The CR-Z is what’s usually referred to as a “mild hybrid,” with the electric motor assisting the gasoline engine. It can’t run on its battery alone at lower speeds as the Prius can. As all hybrids do, under most conditions it shuts the gasoline engine off at idle, such as at a traffic light. Take your foot off the brake and the electric motor starts up the gasoline engine again. The system uses regenerative braking to charge the battery and the gas engine shuts off during certain driving conditions, such as coasting.
It comes in a single trim line that’s $23,490 with the stick shift and $24,290 for my CVT-equipped version. Mine had no options, but there are a few that can be added. They’re pricey: a $2,372 “Style Package” adds front and rear spoilers and a diffuser, while a $1,194 “Essentials Package” includes an armrest with storage, auto-dimming mirror, compass and all-season floor mats. Several other items, including those in the packages, can be added individually.
Standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlamps, heated mirrors, automatic climate control, keyless entry, cruise control, Bluetooth, premium audio system with USB connector, manual seat adjustment and active head restraints.
Despite the CR-Z’s compact footprint, two people enjoy considerable roominess within. I took the hybrid on a day trip of some 500 kilometres and was rather concerned because I’d twisted my back the night before and my hip was very sore. The CR-Z’s seats aren’t all that soft but proved to be extremely supportive, and while it was intensely painful to stand up, I never felt a twinge any time I was sitting behind the wheel.
All the trappings for a rear seat are there, including indentations for the cushions, a centre armrest and a backing plate for the seatback cushions. Instead, the spaces are used as lined storage bins, and that seatback is easily folded down over them, so that valuables can be placed in the bins and then hidden out of sight. With that seatback up, the storage area is 75 cm long; when it’s folded, you have a completely flat cargo floor that’s 120 cm in length. A standard soft cargo cover can be used to hide items placed there, since the long glass hatch leaves them open to prying eyes otherwise.
Three drive modes are available, accessible through buttons to the left of the steering wheel: Economy, Normal and Sport. Curious to see what kind of mileage I could get, I kept it in Economy most of the time, which pulls back on the throttle response, alters the performance of the CVT, induces the start-stop earlier and dials back the air conditioning. The CR-Z with CVT is rated at 5.6 L/100 km (50 mpg Imp) in the city and 5.0 (56) on the highway; in combined driving, including my highway-heavy day trip, I averaged 5.4 (52). The CVT is rated better than the six-speed, with published figures of 6.5 (43) in the city and 5.3 (53) on the highway for the stick. It’s all done on regular-grade fuel, too.
The Normal setting is as it sounds, but the Sport mode is where the CR-Z is the most fun. It still isn’t a sports car, of course, but the CVT includes paddle shifters that can run up and down through seven “gears” if desired. The engine is a little rough and it gets raspy if you accelerate hard, but it’s still well within acceptable parameters, and the tight handling should make you forgive any lack of get-up-and-go. It is a hybrid, after all: you never get something for nothing, and rapid velocity would mean more rapid movement of the fuel gauge.
The central instrument cluster pod contains a digital speedometer surrounded by the tachometer. Its colour changes depending on your driving habits: green for best fuel economy, blue for hard deceleration, and red when you’re having the most fun. A button on the multifunction steering wheel activates the driver information screen on the right, pulling up such information as fuel economy, longer-term economy guide, fuel range, oil life, and a display that shows if the car is currently running on gasoline. One thing I found very annoying was that each time the car was started, the system defaulted to the Normal setting and a blank information screen. Why couldn’t it remember that I’d been in Economy and was watching the fuel economy gauge, and bring it up for me the next time I got into the car?
Visibility is a bit of an issue: the pillars are thick and the view to the side is obstructed by the hatch. The view out the back is made a little easier by two glass panes in the hatch, similar to the setup used in the Honda Crosstour. From the outside, the lower pane can look like a solid plastic panel, but it’s actually deep-tinted glass that’s easy to see through from within.
Small-item storage is quite good, including an open bin in front of the shifter and a lidded one on top of the instrument cluster. Tucked inside that open bin is a small one with a lid: the USB port resides in there, so you can plug in your music player and hide it away. The door pockets have a plastic rail over them, which integrates the speakers, and which prevents taller objects such as magazines from flopping over when they’re stored in the pocket. The twin cupholders are easy to access as well. Controls are easy to reach, simple to operate and very intuitive, and the fit-and-finish and interior materials are top-quality.
I might have raised my eyebrows when I first heard Honda’s claims for the “sporty” CR-Z, but I wasn’t long behind the wheel before my brows returned to their regular parking spot. It isn’t the next S2000, and with its two seats, it isn’t for everyone. Instead, it’s a niche vehicle that’s great fun to drive, especially when you notice how many gas stations you’re passing. Honda promised something that sounded outlandish, but overall, this little coupe really delivers.
Review and photos by Jil McIntosh
Autos.ca
