Photo Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car courtesy American Honda Co.
What a concept! Futuristic styling. Hybrid power. Advanced interior design. And it's all wrapped up in a lightweight, hybrid package that's fun to drive.
Honda has just announced that the Honda CR-Z concept car is going into production to go on sale in 2010.
The CR-Z will be Honda's second new hybrid in two years -- following the introduction of the budget-priced 2010 Honda Insight.. This would also be the first hybrid coupe from a major manufacturer. The Tesla Roadster is a sports car, it is a plug-in electric not a hybrid. Tesla now is ten percent owned by a major manufacturer called Mercedes-Benz, which is rolling out two of its own hybrids in 2009 as 2010 models, the S 400 sedan and the ML450h SUV.
AutoWeek also is reporting that Honda will add a hybrid version of the Honda Fit in 2010.
The CR-Z made its debut as a concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Concept cars are important because they show the design and engineering direction a company is driving towards (forgive the pun). Concepts also are important because if we journalists and the public visiting the auto shows like the idea, it lets the car company know this particular design could sell. I've seen some great concepts at auto shows, and some turkeys best forgotten.
So what's with the name, CR-Z? It is shorthand for “Compact Renaissance Zero”. Honda describes the CR-Z as "a forward-thinking exercise in inspired design and environmental technology. The CR-Z draws its inspiration from a need to deliver spirited performance in an efficient manner". So there.
It’s way too early to talk about power, fuel economy or price. For the CR-Z hybrid or the Honda Fit hybrid. Stay tuned.
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