Honda CR-Z Proving Polular With Older Demographic
Honda‘s new CR-Z hybrid sports car is proving to be a sales success already in its home market of Japan, but not with the crowd you might expect. Inspired by the CRX, the CR-Z would seem to be the modern embodyment of the early Honda hatch, appealing to a younger generation interested in a small and sporty car, but who are interested in their vehicle’s impact on the environment.
Honda, it would seem, has missed the mark, with the latest numbers from Japan showing that 35 percent of all CR-Z owners are over 40, with the majority of buyers in the 30-to-40 range. As for the youth market, males in their 20s make up just 15 percent of CR-Z buyers.
We have no doubt that contributing factors to the car’s lack of appeal with younger buyers involves its less than impressive power, not to mention its cost – which is directly related to the expensive hybrid system.
GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Mega Gallery
[Source: 7Tune]
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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Actually, at least in the U.S.A., I'm not sure if it will appeal even to an older demographic (people like me who have driven turbo charged cars, v-8s and even V-6s and who appreciate having some "grunt" in the powertrain)as for me the lack of power is a "deal breaker". For me the only justification for a two seat coupe is that is handles like a sports car and is fast. Unfortunately the CR-Z fails on both accounts. I do however, like the 6 speed and the HID lights (rather than offering its dated IMA system, I would rather see more Honda products with the 6 speed manual and HID lights). I know I'm probably in the minority, but I'd love to have a 6 speed manual Odyssey.