Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The first sporty hybrid of its kind: The 2011 Honda CR-Z
Posted by Jessica Edmondson on Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 8:30 AM
The 2011 Honda CR-Z is a cross between a hybrid and a sports car. Although the mix might be considered oxymoronic— for hybrids usually center on fuel economy and sports cars usually center on engine muscle—Honda provides drivers a way to be fuel conscious while still having a fun ride.
Up until recently, hybrids like the Toyota Prius and the Ford Fusion Hybrid have led the way for the image of the ideal hybrid car: midsized, 4-door, and extremely fuel affordable. On the other hand, new sport car releases like the Chevrolet Camaro have set the stage for fast, muscle car ideal images as well. The Honda CR-Z is a mixture of both ideals, providing drivers a coupe-like feel with the small two door/two seat size and the quick steering, while still maintaining the hybrid qualities of fuel economy with 35 mpg (miles per gallon) city and 39 mpg highway. So if you ever found yourself wanting a hybrid car, but afraid to stick with the semi-artificial feel of a Prius, the Honda CR-Z is the right solution for you.
Best hybrid qualities:
As already highlighted, the CR-Z gets 35 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. On a hybrid stance, the millage is in a decent range of efficient fuel. But more importantly, the sporty hybrid car competes with the other hybrids on the market due to the California ruled emission ratings. According to the Drive Clean cite, the Honda CR-Z scored 10 out of 10 for the Global Warming Score. Essentially, the Global Warming Score “is a score that ranks each vehicle’s CO2-equivalent value on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the cleanest) relative to all other vehicles.” Also noted, the CR-Z scored a 9 out of 10 for the smog score (10 being the cleanest). The smog score, much like the global warming score, ranks the car’s pollutant levels and ranks according to comparisons of other cars on the market.
Besides the sporty hybrid’s ranking, Honda has engineered the vehicle with a 3-mode driving system that lets the driver switch the balance of performance and fuel economy. The 3 modes are: Economy, Normal, and Sport. Economy mode optimizes vehicle power for maximum efficiency, Normal mode is the standard settings for typical driving, and Sport mode is the quicker acceleration and throttle response of a sports car. Moreover, the 3-mode drive system is displayed in a mood ring format where the tachometer is lit in a different color of neon light: green for Economy, blue for Normal, and red for Sport. To encourage better eco-friendly driving, the CR-Z even provides an Eco Assist feature that scores the efficiency of the driving, via “leaves” appearing on the 3-D dash display. All in all, the hybrid has a sporty and fun interaction with the driver in an eco-friendly manner, making all hybrid lovers a fan.
To view a full specifications report with all features listed, click here. To get a more in-depth review, watch the New Honda CR-Z Review video here.
All photos are provided by images.businessweek.com and paultan.org
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