Leaked: Honda CR-Z Revealed as Official Brochure Sneaks Out
Thanks to an official brochure that has slipped out, we now have our first glimpse at what the production version of Honda’s upcoming CR-Z hybrid sports car looks like. We also have the specs.
As expected, little has changed from the concept version with the CR-Z taking design cues from the Insight, Civic Type-R hatchback and retaining the chopped-off rear made famous by the CRX.
Under the hood Honda will use its Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) gasoline/electric setup with a 1.5-liter engine and electric motor. Engine power is 112-hp and 107 ft-lbs, while the electric motor kicks in 14-hp and 57 ft-lbs. With either a six-speed manual or CVT gearbox, the CR-Z can hit 62 mph in an unimpressive 9.7 seconds – just a tenth faster than the Prius.
Different driving modes will be available, including Eco, Normal and Sport. And while the CR-Z doesn’t get sports car performance, it certainly does get hybrid fuel economy, trumping the Insight and even the Prius. We didn’t notice the numbers at first, but an AutoGuide reader (Thanks crxgator!) pointed them out to us. The CR-Z is rated at an incredible 52/59 mpg!
As this is a Japanese brochure it’s not guaranteed that these specifications will carry over exactly to the North American spec model, but they are likely to be close.
GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Brochure
GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Concept
[Source: TopSpeed and Temple of VTEC]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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A 112 hp 2 passenger Fit will fail in the marketplace. I expect Mugen will substute at least a 150 hp engine which of course is what Sochiro would have done. Whether by forced induction or more displacement the CRZ MUST be an economical sports car, not a sporty economy car. Otherwise it will be another gen2 lot sitter. How did these non-performance marketing people get in charge? Sochiro must be spining in his grave at 16,000 rpm.
Honda's IMA mated with a 14 hp electric motor, will not produce anywhere near 50 mpg in the real world. Expect 35 mpg, or, you will be disappointed.