HONDA says the CR-Z is the world’s first sporty hybrid. It’s all relative, of course but the CR-Z is the only proper hybrid you can buy in the UK with a manual gearbox, and its design and name recall those of the Honda CR-X, one of the most popular hot hatches of the 1980s.
Now a revised version of the Honda CR-Z hybrid is on its way, priced from £20,550 (on the road) for the Sport model and £23,050 for the top-of-the-range GT. Model for model, that’s a bit of a hike compared with existing version, and the previous entry-level model, the £18,045 S, will no longer be offered. The updated cars will arrive at dealers in January.
The big plus for business motorists attracted by the idea of trying something a bit different is that the improved CR-Z gets a useful boost in power and performance that doesn’t affect its official fuel consumption and emissions numbers.
The CR-Z’s petrol engine gets a power boost from 114 to 121 PS – but that’s not all. The electric part of the hybrid drivetrain gets an upgrade in the form of a switch from the previous nickel-metal hydride battery to a lithium-ion type, and the electric motor now delivers 20 PS instead of 14.
That means the Sport, which is slightly quicker than the GT, can accelerate to 62 mph in a pretty respectable 9.1 (previously 10.4) seconds. Top speed is 124 mph. There’s also a new Sport Plus (S+) button on the steering wheel, which activates an electric boost function that provides up to ten seconds of increased acceleration