World War Z: Honda unleashes the CR-Z

MANILA, Philippines - First, there is no zombie apocalypse. What Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) unveiled last Monday at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City is more exciting than that. Yes, more exciting than Brad Pitt mowing down a legion of zombies.

It’s called the CR-Z, and it is Honda’s unique and feisty little contender in both the sports car and hybrid genres. 

The CR-Z is what Honda’s calls a “Sport Hybrid Coupe.” The letters “CR-Z” stand for “Compact Renaissance Zero,” which represents Honda’s commitment to go back to the point of origin (zero) to take on the challenge to create a new compact car without being bound by the values of traditional coupés. And they feel that the time is ripe to introduce such a car.

Tatsuya Natsume, HCPI’s President and General Manager, felt the market’s strong desire for a sport hybrid coupe to be available here in the Philippines. “It is my privilege to be able to bring this product to the Philippines. With the CR-Z, we aim to provide an unparalleled driving experience and rest assured we heard what Filipinos want from Honda. The New Honda has arrived,” Natsume said.

The Honda CR-Z is poised to redefine mobility; successfully balancing sportiness and ecological-friendliness. The hybrid coupe uses a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine as the main source of power in conjunction with an electric motor, Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). I’ve driven a CR-Z for a week, and can attest that this combination successfully marries fun-to-drive performance and exceptional fuel efficiency.

The unique combination of the two seemingly contradictory ideas—sport and hybrid—is something very unique to the CR-Z and to be able to fully demonstrate these opposing ideas, Honda developed two systems: 3-Mode Drive System and Plus Sport System.

Honda’s 3-Mode Drive System lets the driver choose whether the hybrid system will be used for performance or for economy. With a push of a button, it allows drivers to freely shift to SPORT, NORMAL or ECON modes for different driving style and/or driving situations. The system applies integrated control over the engine’s Drive by Wire, Integrated Motor Assist, CVT shift management, electric power steering and even the air conditioner.

In SPORT mode, the vehicle uses the IMA system to provide extra power, while making the throttle pedal more sensitive to driver inputs. In ECON mode, the IMA system limits the amount of fuel used by the engine in order to achieve better efficiency. In NORMAL mode, the driving performance and fuel economy are balanced.

Honda further pushes the envelope as the CR-Z has an additional selection: the Plus-Sport System or S+ Button. The Plus-Sport system uses the charge from the battery to power the electric motor and give an additional boost in acceleration comparable to a 3.0-liter V6, enabling more responsive acceleration.

The CR-Z generates a maximum power of 136 ps @ 6600 rpm and maximum torque of 19.4 kg-m for the 6-speed manual transmission and 135 ps @ 6600 rpm and maximum torque of 17.4 kg-m for the paddle-shift-equipped Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT with 7-speed mode).

In the flesh, the CR-Z sports a low height, wide stance, and an abbreviated length, projecting a sporty, purposeful stance. This, while providing 2+2 passenger capacity, with a rear bench that features a one-touch fold-down system that creates a cargo area with enough space to fit two golf bags.

The high-tech instrument panel is a spitting image of the Ferrari 458 Italia’s. The sporty bucket type front seats, meanwhile, feature a racy black-and-red two-tone combination.

Safety-wise, the CR-Z packs dual front airbags, side airbags with Occupant Position Detection system, curtain airbags, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and Hill Start Assist.

“The arrival of the CR-Z means a lot to Honda; we feel that this particular model was able to connect to Filipinos. Since then, we thought of giving each customer a more personal approach in choosing his or her CR-Z and decided to offer three feature-packed variants, two transmission options and six colors,” Natsume said.

The Standard model is equipped with projector-type HID headlights, LED park lights, front fog lights, rain-sensing front wipers, LED taillights, intermittent rear windshield wiper and 17” alloy wheels. HCPI is also offering the CR-Z Modulo variant equipped with Carbon Fiber finish under-spoiler set, ducktail-type tailgate spoiler and Modulo emblem. And for the first time, HCPI is introducing a CR-Z MUGEN variant which is equipped with under-spoiler set, MUGEN front grille, wing-type tailgate spoiler, MUGEN lightweight 17” alloy wheels, MUGEN exhaust system, Aero Illumination (LED Daytime Running Lights), rear fog lights, carbon fiber mirror cover and shift knob (for manual transmission only), MUGEN emblem and MUGEN floor mats.

The CR-Z is availableat the following SRP’s:

Standard (Manual Transmission)               P1,390,000

Standard (CVT with Paddle Shifters)        P1,480,000

Modulo (Manual Transmission)                 P1,470,000

Modulo (CVT with Paddle Shifters)          P1,560,000

MUGEN (Manual Transmission)                       P1,860,000

MUGEN (CVT with Paddle Shifters)         P1,950,000

The new CR-Z is available in White Pearl, Crystal Black, Polished Metal, Milano Red, Premium Golden Purple Pearl, and an exclusive-for-the-CR-Z Turquoise Blue.