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End of the Line: 2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label

In 2010, Honda started production of the CR-Z. Six years down the line, the sport hybrid coupe will be killed off due to dwindling sales and old age. The so-called α Final Label is the CR-Z’s swan song.
2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label (JDM model) 6 photos
Photo: Honda
2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label (JDM model)2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label (JDM model)2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label (JDM model)2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label (JDM model)2016 Honda CR-Z Alpha Final Label (JDM model)
α is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and it is written as alpha in English. Compared to a standard Honda CR-Z, the α Final Label is laden with special touches. One of the distinguishing details comes in the form of the unique Blue Metallic paint job. Customers can also opt for Blue Metallic with black accents, Premium Yellow with black accents, Premium White Pearl, and Smart Black paint finishes.

Matte finish 17-inch lightweight wheels complete the exterior visual package. The special treatment carries on inside the 2016 Honda CR-Z α Final Label, where you’ll find a black interior, CR-Z Final Label embroidered on the black sports seats, a plaque on the center console that reads the same thing, and a sporty steering wheel. On the technical front, the customers only have to choose between the 6-speed manual transmission or the continuously variable transmission.

Slated to go on sale in Japan in June, the 2016 Honda CR-Z α Final Label holds a suggested retail price of 2.8 million yen ($26,185 at current exchange rates). When domestic sales of the CR-Z began in 2010, prices started from 2.3 million yen ($21,500). In the U.S., the CR-Z is $20,295 excluding the $835 destination.

Under the skin, the Honda CR-Z α Final Label employs a powertrain that pairs a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. Total output of the powertrain stands at 130 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. The torque depends on the type of transmission: 140 lb-ft for the stick shift or 127 lb-ft for the CVT.

When all is said and done, nobody will miss the Honda CR-Z once production grinds to a halt later this year. Still, the CR-Z will forever be remembered at Honda and among enthusiasts because it is a missed opportunity, a middle-of-the-road mongrel that’s far from being the true successor of the CR-X.

Here's looking at you, CR-Z, and here's hope Honda will do a better sport hybrid coupe next time around.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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