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By
DEREK OGDEN
6 December 2011
Honda has a history of being at the top of the motorsport tree
with engines powering two or four-wheeled vehicles to many
championship wins over several decades.
Much of the race research and development went into the
company’s road cars, with the ground breaking NSX supercar, for
example, giving the European exotics a run for their money.
Honda, the largest engine maker in the world, is committed to
staying out in front through petrol/electric hybrid technology
with the aim of cutting carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions by 30
per cent by 2020, based on year 2000 figures, and ultimately to
zero with fully electric powered vehicles.
The
company has just launched the first hybrid sports coupe, the Honda
CR-Z, onto the Australian market. The CR-Z owes something in
looks, especially around the chopped off tail and rear glass, to
two of its forebears, the high revving buzz box CR-X of the 1990s,
and the Honda Insight, the first mass production hybrid to be sold
in Australia.
Honda
says the aim is to change people’s perceptions of hybrids as
hi-tech vehicles with average performance and turn them into
stylish driver focused fun cars. To this end the new CR-Z has
effectively created its own category, one that we hope will be
expanded to include other players.
The
sporty, aerodynamic looking three-door coupe is powered by a 1.5-litre
i-VTEC petrol engine coupled with Honda’s Integrated Motor
Assist electric system. These are mated with either a six-speed
manual or continuously variable automatic transmission.
Maximum power output for the combined petrol/electric system is 91
kW, peak torque is either 174 Nm (manual) or 167 Nm (CVT).
Officially measured fuel consumption on the combined cycle
is 5.0 litres per 100km (manual) and 4.7 litres/100km (CVT).
Carbon dioxide emissions of 118 grams per km (manual) and 111 g/km
(CVT).
Honda’s
has come up with a three-mode drive system which tailors steering,
throttle response and IMA assistance to sport, normal or economy
patterns simply by means of buttons on the dashboard to the right
of the steering column.
‘Sport’
sharpens throttle response, ups electric motor assistance and
attributes a more positive feel to steering; ‘Econ’ puts fuel
economy above all else through operation of the drive-by-wire
throttle, ECU, air-conditioning and hybrid system; ‘Normal’,
the default mode, balances performance, economy and emissions to
suit most driving conditions.
‘Sport’ also allows the driver to make use of steering
wheel-mounted paddle to choose pre-selected ratios within the CVT.
How well the driver is doing in saving the planet is tracked by
the system. Speedometer lighting is used a la Insight to provide
feedback to the driver on how he or she is doing on fuel saving
and cutting nasty emissions.
In addition, instrument lighting is linked to the three-mode drive
system. In ‘Normal’ and ‘Econ’ modes a ring around the
deep set 3-D speedometer is blue, switching to green when the CR-Z
is driven economically.
In
‘Econ’ it also has a green eco flower lit in the mode
indicator; in ‘Sport’, the speedo surround constantly glows
red.
The
CR-Z comes in two well specified variants – Sport and Luxury.
Sport comes with a choice of six-speed manual transmission
with Hill Start Assist or a Continuously Variable Transmission
with Creep Aid System and steering-wheel mounted shift paddles.
Auto stop/start mode adds to fuel efficiency.
The front suspension is MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam,
and the CR-Z runs on 16-inch alloy wheels and has a temporary
spare.
AM/FM
audio has CD player and MP3 compatibility with steering-wheel
mounted audio controls; USB connectivity with iPod integration and
Bluetooth hands-free connectivity with steering-wheel mounted
controls.
Cloth-trimmed seats are fitted with active head restraints,
seatbelts have pre-tensioners and there are duel side and full
length curtain airbags and child safety seat anchorages.
Daytime running lights and LED tail lights are standard as well as
front fog lamps and rain sensing front wipers. Rear park assist is
linked to the multi-media information display
The Luxury model is available only with CVT plus Creep Aid System
and steering-wheel mounted paddle shifts. Leather trimmed seats
are heated at the front, there’s a panoramic glass roof.
Satellite navigation incorporates live traffic updates, a DVD
player is on hand, as is Bluetooth audio streaming. Reversing is
made easier with a camera, while rear park assist is an option.
With all this high-end technology it’s easy to forget the basics
of a vehicle. While there are four seats fitted, the rear
positions are virtually unusable because of the absence of any leg
room whatsoever, even with the front seats positioned for average
build occupants.
The Honda CR-Z is strictly a 2+2 and will probably be used by many
owners with the rear seat backs folded flat to give extra luggage
space (up to 401 litres, including under-floor storage) in the
boot. On the upside, headroom in the front is generous, as is
shoulder width.
The
new Honda sports coupe is 92 per cent recyclable, a figure that
includes the battery pack, thus putting it on terms with a
conventionally powered vehicle.
Honda
CR-Z does live up to its hi-tech hype with performance, ride and
handling to go with its sporty looks.
Due to a scarcity of manual gearboxes on the media launch day
organised by Honda Australia I was able to drive only a CVT.
However, a colleague who drove both said the manual was faster,
more economical and more satisfying to drive than its CVT sibling.
Both versions have a starting price of $34,990 before on-road
costs are taken into consideration.
MODEL RANGE:
Honda CR-Z Sport 6-speed manual $34,990
Honda CR-Z Sport CVT $37,290
Honda CR-Z Luxury CVT $40,790
(Excluding government costs and dealer delivery charges)
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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