HONDA CR-Z Review

"Comfort: a feeling of relief or encouragement; a satisfying or enjoyable experience" - Merriam-Webster dictionary. After reading this definition, the CR-Z provides different feelings, mostly if you're expecting to deal with an all-rounder.

The front seats are, as we said, impressive. The side bolsters hug the occupant in every corner and every time the driver's heavy foot touches the throttle. The low driving position is not only influenced by the height-adjustable driver seat but also by the tilt and telescopic three-spoke steering wheel.

If you're the kind of driver who'd pay tons of money for a smooth ride, you might be surprised. For 21,000 Euros you get a pretty smooth experience, mostly thanks to the electric motor that makes several things almost unnoticeable. The suspension system does a pretty good job, mostly in the city where speed limiters, potholes and large kerbs are basically parts of our everyday lives.

Probably the best thing about the CR-Z is ergonomics. Most controls, be them related to the cruise control function, Bluetooth or vital systems such as headlights and windscreen wipers, are exactly in the place you'd expect them to be. The climate controls are actually the only exception, as they are placed on the center console, at the right of the steering wheel, in the same way as on the Insight.

But, once again, we must bring the seats back in discussion. With a negative note this time. The incredibly small rear bench, which is a key member of Honda's so-called 2+2 architecture, is more like a cloth hanger rack. Or just a big, big storage space. Here, you can safely put your coat, your laptop, books, shopping bags or even other things that wouldn't fit in the trunk.

From this point of view, Americans seem to be on the lucky side. Instead of the tiny bench, they get nothing. And yes, this is actually a good thing. Because nothing here translate into more interior space and, more specifically, into a larger trunk. Up to 382 liters to be more precise.
A hybrid model featuring a manual transmission would surely raise some eyebrows. In fact, Honda CR-Z is the first hybrid in the world that comes with a six-speed manual unit, but the combination with an i-VTEC engine and an IMA motor was created with a single goal in mind: give the driver more control. Easy to say, hard to do. More control to the driver means in the end that fuel efficiency and engine power come down to driving skills.

Nevertheless, Honda tried to minimize the impact of using a manual transmission by introducing the so-called 3-Mode Drive System which allows the driver to modify the car's settings depending on his needs. Basically, the driver has to choose between three (pretty much self-explanatory) predefined modes - ECON, Normal and Sport - to alter the vehicle's configuration, including the throttle response, the steering, climate control or the way the electric motor works.

Since we're talking about the electric unit, the CR-Z employs the IMA system, shared with the Insight hybrid, but revised to better interact with the three aforementioned modes. Backed by a 100.8 volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack, the electric motor makes sure that the peak torque is provided at just 1500 rpm, having a major contribution to both performance figures and fuel efficiency levels.

The 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine on the other hand comes straight from Honda's Jazz but underwent an upgrade programme to fulfill the new requirements. The original dimensions didn't allow the engine to be fitted inside the CR-Z, so Honda developed a brand new intake manifold which also leaves enough room for extra pedestrian protection space.

According to the official technical specifications, the CR-Z engines develop 124 horsepower and 174 Nm of torque. Individually, the gasoline unit generates 114 horsepower and 145 Nm of torque, while the electric motor adds 14 horsepower and 78.4 Nm of torque. Coupled to the six-speed manual transmission, it goes from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 9.9 seconds, while topping at 200 km/h (124.2 mph).
Although hybrids have been around for a while, some consider they're still in the incipient stage and there's more work to do for them to reach the maximum possible efficiency level. However, they've evolved a lot and, from the gadget point of view, a hybrid vehicle is actually a gadget per se, with tons of devices and features that set them apart from the rest of the industry.

The CR-Z makes no exception and you get that as soon as you jump into one. The dashboard, the gauges' background light, the battery and the whole IMA system are actually top-notch devices, each of them having a more or less significant contribution to the final vehicle performance.

The color of the central gauge surrounding changes depending on the selected mode, in the same way as on the Insight: red for Sport, blue for Normal, and blue to full green for ECON (depending on how economically the driver handles the car). Just like on the Insight, there's a small plant icon that grows leaves to indicate the driver's eco progress. In the end, if the performance achieved by the driver is perfect (Honda's very own words), a flower takes shape.

The Multi-Information Display shows all kinds of information, statistics and graphs related to the driver's eco results, but also provides vital data such as fuel level and the travelled distance.

The eco driving is also supported by the so-called Shift Indicator Light (SIL) that displays a visual notification whenever the driver is recommended to shift up or down in order to get the lowest fuel consumption. According to the Japanese company, such a system, combined with Honda's Eco Assist, can improve fuel consumption by up to 10%, but would dramatically reduce performance, as we mentioned in the "City" section.

The Cruise Control feature is also adapted to support efficiency. With an Insight-like behavior, the system automatically softens the response when in ECON mode, allowing minor speed variations for smoother accelerations or decelerations.

Leaving all the hybrid goodies aside, the CR-Z also features a pretty decent audio configuration that supports both MP3 and WMA files. It comprises two front-door speakers, two front tweeters, two rear speakers plus a subwoofer mounted in the trunk. An auxiliary port is available right on the center console, plus an USB port in one of the storage compartments at the bottom of the console.

Probably the only issue here is caused by the parking sensors. Pretty useful to be honest, but almost useless if you're trying to park with air conditioning or music turned on. The volume of the sensors is annoyingly low and, after taking a peek at the owner's manual and on the Internet, we found out that there's no way to fix that. Unless you're willing to pay a visit to your closest Honda service center.
Although we called it "a special car" several times until this point, the CR-Z is as safe as many other vehicles out there. The truth is that no safety organization has tested it so far, but Honda tries to assure everybody that the hybrid is as safe as it can be.

As for the equipment it comes with, the CR-Z features active headrests, frontal airbags for both the driver and the front passenger, side airbags and side curtain airbags, plus seatbelt reminders, rear 3-point seatbelts, ISOFIX support for the rear "seats", ABS with EBD, EBA, VSA and EPS.

The car's dimensions, 4080x1740x1395mm (160x68.5x54.9 inches) might raise some concerns in the eventuality of an impact with a bigger vehicle but, after all, it's not a bomb on wheel as some people complain. It does have the fuel tank under the rear bench and a battery in the trunk, but this doesn't affect passenger safety at all... or so they say.
Don't be fooled by the hybrid designation it wears. The CR-Z is far from being a regular hybrid and, although equipped with an electric motor, it seems like it's supposed to provide a sporty driving experience, rather than bringing fuel consumption and emissions below the level of a regular car.

As compared to the Insight, from whom the CR-Z borrows so many things, the sporty coupe is aimed at young buyers who'd ignore important things such as interior space, cargo volume or even fuel efficiency.

After a few days with the CR-Z, we were impressed: this is one of the hybrids that are really fun to drive. Leaving all its issues aside, the CR-Z is, and will probably be since it has absolutely no rival, the only hybrid with a six-speed manual transmission. A combination that would otherwise sound weird but which appears to be as appealing as a glass of cold beer on a hot summer day.

The best thing about it is surely the feeling you get when driving one, regardless if we're referring to city or non-urban driving. Sporty and agile, with an engine roaring like a small beast when in Sport mode, the CR-Z almost makes you forget that it needs 9.9 seconds to go from naught to sixty.

The bad? There's no doubt interior space is its major issue. In Europe, Honda thought that it would be better to offer a tiny rear bench that is uncomfortable even for children. With the rear seats in place, the trunk measures only 214 liters, with a maximum volume of 382 liters with the seats folded.