The Honda CR-Z was launched on the European market in mid-2010. It is powered by a 1.5-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine producing 122 hp and aided by a 13-hp (10kw) electric motor.
The electric motor is driven by a 101-volt, 5.75-Ah Nickel Metal Hydride battery. Top speed is 208kmh(130mph), 0-100kmh (0-62) can be achieved in 6.1 seconds and a fuel economy of 56.4mpg can be expected. The CR-Z is the worlds first Hybrid 6 speed manual gearbox.
Think of the electric motor as a big starter motor that provides a bit of turbo charging-like assistance when you step on the throttle, reusing power from when you last decelerated.
Unlike the Toyota Prius, Honda hybrids only run the electric motor when the engine is on. Honda hybrids don’t run on electric power alone. Honda, an engineering company at heart, says the mpg and environmental benefits are modest for a hybrid that at times uses electric-only propulsion. Long term, a small hybrid battery pack may find its way into lots of cars to recapture the energy lost from deceleration..
Honda chose a parallel hybrid powertrain system that it calls Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). A thin, pancake-type electric motor/generator is “integrated” between the engine and transmission and only “assists” the petrol engine. This compares to hybrid systems from Ford and Toyota where the electric motor can assist the engine plus, propel the vehicle on electric power alone. In certain instances, the CR-Z engine does cut off fuel and the car operates briefly on electric power only, but the engine’s parts still move.
Like other hybrid vehicles, the CR-Z uses Stop Start technology to save on fuel economy. The 1.5-litre engine, combined with the power and torque of the IMA parallel hybrid system, gives an overall power output of 124PS and 174Nm of torque. The peak torque figure is identical to that of the 1.8-litre Civic but offers CO2 emissions of just 117g/km** (35 g/km fewer than the Civic 1.8-litre model).
The CR-Z is now available in Ireland
Prices start at = € 26,630
We will be providing a Dealer link shortly.