Honda CR-Z News

If the magazine deliberately set out to create controversy over its choice of the Honda CR-Z, it has succeeded brilliantly. This is possibly the dumbest choice I have seen in decades, worse even than the Holden Camira, Mitsubishi Nimbus and Leyland P76.It features outmoded alleged "hybrid'' technology, absolutely no go and seats for two unless you are a midget without legs. Perhaps the sharpish handling won hearts at Wheels. It couldn't have been anything else. Otherwise, one wonders what drugs they are on.Last year was a purple patch in terms of new car launches with plenty of worthy contenders for the top dog position. What about the Ford Focus with its brilliant handling and great looks. It’s a great prospect from every point of view. And the Eco-LPi Falcon that halves your weekly fuel bill and goes better than the petrol.And the Volvo S60 in even the base T4, which punches well above its weight is super-safe and looks fantastic. There’s the Range Rover Evoque ... top styling, competent offroader, great engine performance with turbo petrol and diesel.And from cost-benefit analysis you’d have to go the Kia Rio that was Carsguide COTY. As a performance pick you can’t go past the Nissan GT-R – even though the new one coming will be even better again. But the CR-Z?OK, it looks alright if you're into that sort of dart shaped coupe/hatchback sort of thing but a sports coupe it most certainly is not, despite Honda subliminally linking it to the CR-X - a real rocket powered roller skate - with character, even in the targa roof version.The manual CR-Z struggles to put away a 0-100kmh sprint in 10 seconds and the "auto'' is a horrible, even slower CVT slurring away trying to decide where to set engine revs. My 83 year old dad would give CR-Z a run for its money on his treadly, and he's got arthritis in his knees.The hybrid drive system isn't really a proper hybrid because it's the wrong way around - a (wimpy) single cam petrol engine out of an econobox, with an electric boost motor. A real hybrid is like a diesel/electric train (and Chevy Volt) with the vehicle driven by an electric motor and the petrol or diesel engine powering a generator.Fuel economy is no reason to buy the CR-Z because it's nigh on impossible to achieve anywhere near the claimed consumption figure. And it's only Euro 4 compliant.The tacky interior is a rendition of generic Japanese design in mostly hard plastic filled with naff quasi-green reward systems to "help'' you drive economically. Heaven help us if this is the direction of car development in the future.

For those under the misapprehension it is a replacement for the raunchy CRX from the '90s, nothing could be further from the truth. Honda CR-Z has "nanna'' performance clicking over a 0-100kmh sprint in a pedestrian 9.0 plus seconds. What's even more annoying is CR-Z has razor sharp dynamics crying out for an engine to do it justice. The call has been answered by Honda specialist tuner Mugen which has delivered a supercharged version of the CR-Z with Civic Type R levels of performance. The car first appeared at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011, when Honda (UK) and "Mugen Euro'' joined forces to launch the hot CR-Z sports hybrid. It has almost 50 per cent more power than the standard car, and is rated around 140kW. Mugen Euro engineers 'breathed over' the 1.5-litre power unit, retaining the 3-button IMA (electric motor) modes, adding a supercharger, charge-air cooler and induction system and importantly, a Mugen Euro-mapped ECU (electronic control unit). The result is outstanding power to weight, and increased torque helping to deliver 0-100kmh in 6.1 seconds  over 3 seconds quicker than the standard car. A Honda UK spokesman said "The Mugen CR-Z is a super responsive yet eco-conscious model building on Honda's sporting credentials and giving it the ability to compete in the "hot hatch'' marketplace.'' Prices have yet to be confirmed in the UK, but are expected to be approximately 24,000 (A$37,400). Given Honda's inexorable slide into cardigan and slippers, don't expect this car in Australia any time soon.

A hybrid that matches Toyota's Prius on price but has sporty looks and the promise of a more engaging drive is the carrot Honda is waving at potential CR-Z buyers. Not that there will be a lot of them — Honda sales and marketing manager Stephen Collins predicts 600 sales of the petrol-electric CR-Z in the first year. Prices start at $34,990 for the CR-Z Sport with a six-speed manual. The continuously variable transmission is another $2300, which should help push buyers to the auto-only CR-Z Luxury at $40,790. Both models are powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, boosted by an electric motor to produce 91kW and 167Nm in the auto or 174Nm in the manual. Claimed fuel consumption is 5.0 litres/100km for the manual, sliding back to 4.7 lites/100km for the CVT. Standard features include rain-sensing front wipers, cruise control, climate control airconditioning LED running lights, Bluetooth telephony with steering wheel-mounted controls and a six-speaker stereo with USB and iPod connectivity. The Luxury adds heated leather front seats, a satnav system that will play DVDs when the car is stationary and a panoramic glass sunroof. It delete's the Sport's rear parking sensors in favour of a reversing camera that displays on the satnav screen. Honda says the sporty looks of the CR-Z — which takes its exterior inspiration from the CR-X of the 1980s — is matched on the road with a suspension and chassis tailored for driving enjoyment. There are also three driving modes — Eco, Normal and Sport — that adjust throttle response, the electric motor's output and even how hard the airconditioning system pumps. Honda Australia says the Prius is a logical, but not natural competitor and prefers to compare the CR-Z with prestige small cars such as the Mini Cooper and Audi A1. The CR-Z joins the 1.3-litre Insight in Honda's hybrid line-up but sales and marketing manager Stephen Collins says "the demand for other fuels, like diesel" will lead to the company's first oilburner arriving in Australia in 2013 housed in a European-sourced Civic five-door hatch.

The good news is that the cars of the future are not boring electric "golf carts" but sleek and sexy machines.Take for example the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, or even the updated Toyota Prius C. Just as smart, but also featuring powertrain technology that is much further down the line, is the Hyundai Blue2 Concept, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, or the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV with a plug-in hybrid system that extends the use of the vehicle in electric mode.Here is a sample of the green vehicles on the stands at this year’s show:BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept: Making its Australian debut, this is the concept for the coming BMW i8. A conventional 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-diesel mated to a pair of electric motors powers this four-wheel-drive 2+2 sports car. The hybrid combination pumps out 265kW of power and 800Nm of torque, and can run on electric power alone for up to 50km, diesel only for 645km or a combination of both. The lithium-ion battery packs charge in just 2.5 hours from AC mains or 44 minutes on quick charge.Ford: The new Liquefied Phase Injection LPG technology in the Ford Falcon EcoLPi has improved power and torque and decreased fuel consumption (12.5L/100km) and CO2 emissions (203g/km). Ford will also show its long-awaited diesel Territory with a 2.7-litre V6 boasting fuel economy of 8.2L/100km.Holden: The Ecoline Series II Cruze range with a new generation 2.0-litre turbo diesel (5.6L/100km) is Australia’s most fuel-efficient locally-built car. The stand will also feature the Cruze 1.4-litre intelligent turbo induction (1.4 iTi) petrol engine (6.4L/100km manual) and other Ecoline models, including the Commodore E85 flex-fuel and Spark Ignition Direct Injection V6 powered Commodores and Captivas.Honda hybrids: Honda will show the stylish Honda CR-Z coupe petrol-electric hybrid that arrives here later this year, as well as its second-generation Insight hybrid.Hyundai Blue2 Concept: This is the Korean company’s first sedan-style Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) powered by hydrogen. It delivers power of 90kW and fuel economy of 2.8L/100km. Being a concept car, it comes with a host of future electronic aids, such as an automatic opening door system, roof and side cameras to replace mirrors, and a motion sensor-operated infotainment system.Lexus LF-Gh Concept: This concept features the hybrid system already in the Lexus fleet, but is the first time the spindle-shaped grille that will become a feature of future designs will be seen here, and hints at a future grand touring sedan. Lexus Australia chief executive Tony Cramb says the LF-Gh reaffirms that hybrids can be sleek and stylish.Mazda Minagi: This is a crossover concept specifically engineered to be the first with frugal SKYACTIV technology diesel and petrol engines and transmission. The car is an insight into the coming CX-5.Mercedes-Benz C-Class: The range now includes the updated 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission for improved economy. Diesel models come with the ECO start/stop function as standard, and the C250 diesel coupe boasts economy of 5.1L/100km. At the top end of the Benz range, the S350 diesel BlueTec luxury saloon has economy figures of 7L/100km.Mitsubishi ?i-Miev-based electric vehicle concepts: The i-MiEV is about to hit the showrooms and Mitsubishi already has an SUV variant, which will be on its stand. The Concept PX-MiEV has a plug-in hybrid system with fuel economy better than 2L/100km. It is powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors and a 1.6-litre MIVEC engine. The PX-MiEV also features Smart Grid technology that allows the battery to power home appliances during a blackout or at peak times when electricity tariffs are high.Nissan Leaf: The all-electric Leaf hits showrooms next year. The World Car of the Year features a satnav system linked to the "Global Data Centre’’ in Japan so you just press a button to find the closest recharging stations.Toyota Prius C concept & Prius V: The latest in the Prius family are a funky coupe concept (C) and a people mover (V). The Prius C concept shows how stylish the Prius can be and the V shows how spacious it can be. The V also features a lightweight-resin panoramic moon roof, weighing about 40 per cent less than a regular glass roof of the same size. It will be the first to feature Toyota’s new Entune multimedia system with mobile internet and Microsoft’s Bing search engine. The system will offer live weather and traffic updates, along with monitoring the best fuel prices in town.Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion: The BlueMotion has the same 1.6-litre engine with the same output at 77kW and 250Nm as the 77TDI, but its fuel use is just 3.8L/100km compared with 5.12L/100km (77TDI) and CO2 of 99g/km (133g/km 77TDI). The gains are made from a lower idle speed, stop/start technology, aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres.Volvo V60 diesel plug-in hybrid: The world’s first diesel hybrid plug-in goes into production next year. The driver can choose from three modes: Pure, which is all-electric with a range of up to 50km, Hybrid with an average fuel consumption of 1.9L/100km and CO2 of 49g/km, and Power, which boosts total diesel and electric power to 200kW and 640Nm of torque with acceleration to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. The turbodiesel drives the front wheels and an electric motor drives the rear axle. It can be recharged via a regular power socket in 4.5 hours on 10A charge.PLUS: There will also be displays by infrastructure companies including Better Place EV, which has announced plans to begin rolling out infrastructure in Canberra this year.

Honda killed the second-generation NSX with its F1-inspired V10 engine before it could hit the road but is now considering a new plan after scoring a string of successes in Japanese GT racing. After consolidating its green technology with the Insight, Civic Hybrid, CR-Z and Jazz Hybrid, Honda believes the is right for a serious re-evaluation of its sports car program. The head of Honda, Takanobu Ito, says the company is "rekindling" the spirit of motorsport and has commenced evaluation of a new car - for sports driving enthusiasts and motorsport - that will meet the expectations of a public wanting greener technology.  The result is likely to be smaller and lighter, and have a smaller and greener powerplant, but still generate a decent amount of power. Ito hints that Honda could put a small number of cars, based on the latest V8-powered NSX racer, into production but does not say when. But Honda is known to be on two other cars, one a medium-sized sports cars with a V6-hybrid, strongly rumoured to debut as an Acura for the USA, and the other a compact lightweight four-cylinder hybrid coupe.

Both vehicles are integral to the Honda Electric Mobility Network, the company's comprehensive approach to reducing CO2 emissions through innovative products, energy-management and energy-production

The Volkswagen Polo led from the start of vote counting at Waseda University Hall in Tokyo, but a late surge by the Honda CR-Z gave the top prize to Japan's new hybrid hero.  The Polo was still named as Import Car of the Year. There are 60 judges on the Japan COTY panel and the Polo was ahead as the scores were read for the first 55, with more maximum 10-point votes -including mine - going to the Volkswagen compact. But then the tide turned and the CR-Z eventually won the count by a 406-397 margin.  As the votes were read for the final five jurors a Honda contingent led by CR-Z chief engineer Norio Tomobe, who had been silent and solemn until that point, began to cheer like soccer fans on the winning side. The final finishing order was Honda CR-Z, Volkswagen Polo, Suzuki Swift and Peugeot RCZ.  Each of the 60 Japan COTY jurors is allocated 25 votes, with 10 for their top-rated car and the rest for their next four in order of preference, something like 10-6-4-3-2. There are only two foreign nationals on the panel, including myself. Japan Car of the Year voting: 1. Honda CR-Z, 4062. Volkwagen Polo, 3973. Suzuki Swift, 2284. Peugeot RCZ, 1905. Nissan March (Micra), 676. BMW 5 Series, 627. Jaguar XJ, 548. Mazda Premacy (Mazda5), 519. Toyota Mark X, 2610. Mercedes E-Class (BlueTec), 19

On one side of the glittering $50 million display at the Darling Harbour exhibition centre in Sydney is the $700,000 Lexus LFA, a sellout speed machine that can top 315km/h, and across the aisle is the latest $12,490 Holden Barina Spark.It's a sign of the times that GM Holden, which stunned Australia when it revealed its Monaro concept car at Darling Harbour in 1998, has the Spark as its centrepiece for 2010. More than a decade ago the Holden stand was flooded by chequebook-waving fans who had to have a Monaro, but there is no repeat this time with the Spark.Instead, the smallest Holden is going up against an all-new $12,990 Nissan Micra unveiled at the show and a Toyota Yaris that cops a price   chop as sales chief Dave Buttner does opening-day duties for Australia's favourite brand.It takes more than four hours for each of the major makers at the show - and there are more than 35 brands in total - to make their pitch on opening morning. Each has something to say, from Audi with its baby A1 through to Volvo with the first local appearance of its new S60 sedan.But the biggest news of all is that Australia finally has a single motor show. It took a walkout by many of the major brands, and months of talks between the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce that controls Melbourne and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries for Sydney, to reach a compromise that means there is finally a true Australian International Motor Show.In 2011 it flips to Melbourne, with the date confirmed at July 1-10, and there are big plans to make an impact on the worldwide motoring calendar. The foundations are laid this year with the world debut of the T6 pickup twins, the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50, and Subaru also shows a Forester WRX-style concept that will be converted into a turbocharged headliner for showrooms in 2011."Today is our most significant motor show ever," says Ford Australia's president, Marin Burela, on opening day. "Australia is playing a key role in the global Ford product story.  Today's show is the springboard to the future."His verdict is backed by Doug Dickson, the Mazda chief who heads the FCAI. "This show is different. It's time for a contemporary approach," says Doug Dickson, chairman of the organising committee and the managing director of Mazda Australia. "It presents the very best the global motor industry has to offer."The show stands are packed but here are the stand-outs:Car of the Show - Toyota FT-86It's currently only a concept car, but the futuristic coupe provides the proof that Toyota is serious about putting emotion into its cars. It's feeling the squeeze from Korea and knows it needs to give people cars they want to buy, not just fridges with wheels.Baby Boomer - Nissan MicraThe result of a five-year plan to create a cost-down tiddler that works for customers and Nissan's bottom line is a good looker with impressive safety. It's as cute as the current Micra but has airbags-ABS-ESP safety and a new-age three-cylinder starter engine to edge out the Holden Spark and Suzuki Swift.Dream Machine - Lexus LFAThe one-off Mercedes SLS 'Blackbird' with flat-black paintwork makes a case, and and so does the Lamborghini Gallardo 570-4 Superleggera, but the LFA is a $700,000 sellout that will never be repeated. Every car costs Lexus money and that means the eight local owners have a future classic.Home Run - WP Series IIFord fans flock to the latest supercharged star at Ford Performance Vehicles, but the heaviest hitter is the supercharged, 460 kiloWatt-780 Newton-metre, Commodore from Walkinshaw Performance. The base price is $99,900 but four are sold almost as soon as the show opens.Future Spark - Honda CRZThere are fewer green machines in Sydney that most global shows, with electric cars struggling for traction in Australia. The CRZ is Honda's new hybrid headliner, although it will probably sell more of the family-friendly second-generation Insight.Funk Factor - Range Rover EvoqueThe first city car from the off-road pioneers is a game-changer for   the British brand. It will also be a huge hit in Toorak and Double Bay   once deliveries begin.Big Tease - Nissan PatrolNissan Australia had to buy the Patrol show car from a dealer in the Middle East because right-hand drive production does not begin for nearly a year. It looks good and promises to take the fight right up to the Toyota LandCruiser, once there is a steering wheel on the right-hand side.

The first is the Insight, which Honda Australia CEO Satoshi Matsuzawa, said will be priced from $29,990 when it goes into showrooms on December 6 and $34,490 for  the top spec model.At a time when Australians have all but abandoned manuals, it is almost bizarre to see one billed as a new car’s main asset. But Honda is unapologetic about the six speed stick shift that drives the CR-Z.Mr Matsuzawa said the boy racer shaped coupe will “change your view of hybrids” with its sporting dynamics. He said it will be in showrooms by mid-2011.More whimsically, Honda also revealed its personal mobility device, a sort of automated unicycle that responds to the rider’s body movements.

It combines the fuel-efficient benefits of petrol-electric hybrid technology with engaging dynamic performance at an accessible pricepoint.This exciting new coupe is designed to change the way people think about hybrid vehicles, thanks to a driver-focussed chassis and a responsive engine assisted by Honda’s renowned IMA parallel hybrid system (also used on the new Honda Insight – see page XXX.).Due for launch in Australia mid-2011, the sporty CR-Z offers a wide track and a short-wheelbase chassis for agile handling. It delivers the world’s first six-speed manual transmission in a hybrid, with a unique 3-Mode Drive System to tailor steering, throttle response and IMA assistance to the driver’s needs.The CR-Z is powered by a 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine with 91kW and 174Nm coupled to the Honda IMA parallel hybrid electric motor system. The hybrid’s electric motor assistance gives the CR-Z a pleasantly flat torque curve, with the maximum achieved at just 1500rpm, which is unusually low for a naturally aspirated engine. Teamed with the manual transmission, the IMA-assisted engine provides great in-gear flexibility and excellent exhaust emissions.The CR-Z’s exterior is designed around a ‘One-Motion Wedge’ concept with a low bonnet line, tiny overhangs at either end, and wide track. A two-tier dash with a dark upper portion appears to float above a light grey lower section that flows into the door panels, complements the interiors futuristic theme.The CR-Z’s 3-Mode Drive System allows the driver to choose between three driving modes, which alter the responses of the throttle, steering, idle stop timing, climate control and the level of power assistance provided by the IMA system.  It is designed to give drivers the choice to maximise either enjoyment or economy ... or strike a balance between the two.Honda’s engineers wanted to give customers more adaptability in how the CR-Z would drive, without adding complexity to the driving experience.