Honda CR-Z
Speculation is tough to do on a model such as the Honda Civic, which always comes in so many variations. Unlike the Golf, for example, which is pretty much the same car wherever you go in the world, Honda chooses to create different Civic models depending on the market where it will be sold.
North American models are often larger and forged as compact sedans while in Europe the Honda Civic comes as your standard-issue mid-sized hatchback. And domestically in Japan, as well as in other Asian markets, it comes in its own guise too.
Futuristic styling. Hybrid power. Advanced interior design. And it’s all wrapped up in a lightweight, fun-to-drive package. What a concept! It’s the Honda CR-Z concept, to be exact—and it made its North American debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Feeding our hatch need like Sigfried & Roy feed tigers, a magazine scan from Temple of VTEC points to a production version of the Honda CR-Z Concept for U.S. consumption. Will the CRX return?
We've already reported on the CR-Z Hybrid getting a green light, but then we worried the rumors were about the Honda Insight. If this scan from Japanese automag Mag-X and a TOV-posters translation are to be believed, the new CR-Z will be a small, non-hybrid hatch equipped with a small fourbanger and a CVT and six-speed manual transmission.
Shorthand for “Compact Renaissance Zero,” the CR-Z is a forward-thinking exercise in inspired design and environmental technology. The CR-Z draws its inspiration from a need to deliver spirited performance in an efficient manner. It is our goal to deliver a small CR-Z-based hybrid in the near future as part of our commitment to help effect positive environmental change. So keep on the lookout for more details about the CR-Z.
The CR-Z hatchback will quite likely share some similarities with the new Civic, including a hybrid drivetrain made up of a 1.5 liter gasoline/petrol engine coupled to Honda's Integrated Motor Assist, along with a choice of a 6-speed manual or a CVT transmission.
Honda keeps having to play catch-up with Toyota's Prius in terms of its hybrid offering, with the Prius having established itself as the model that defines the hybrid car. And a well-received Civic hybrid is essential to the success of the whole Civic range.
