Honda CR-Z hybrid

The Honda CR-Z hybrid

The Honda CR-Z hybrid might be the least anticipated gas-electric car heading to the market. Honda says that the CR-Z combines fun, small and efficient in a sporty package. After the first month on the market in Japan, Honda received more than 10,000 orders.

The Honda CR-Z hybrid borrows much of the hybrid system from the Honda Insight—but its engine has 16 valves instead of the Insight's eight. The Honda CR-Z hybrid 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine—compared to the Insight’s 1.3—is also mated to a six-speed manual gearbox—making it the only hybrid on the market available with a manual transmission. The Honda CR-Z hybrid clearly borrows its overall shape from the Honda CRX sports car, a version of the Civic that was produced from 1984 to 1991.

A Sports Car Without Maximum Speed
According to Automotive News, the engineer had to convince executives at American Honda Motor that US drivers would want a sporty-looking hybrid. The Honda CR-Z hybrid hits American shores in mid-2010.

Hybrids are many things. Sporty? No one in their right mind would call hybrids sporty.

Honda delivers much-needed excitement to eco-friendly driving with the CR-Z, an attractive, affordable hybrid that's a genuine hoot to drive. The thing is, the CR-Z doesn't feel like a hybrid. There's no lag when the 10-kilowatt electric motor hands off to the 1.5-liter engine. Econ shifts the equation toward maximum fuel efficiency. (Honda hasn't finalized pricing.)