The Car That Changes Everything: The 2011 Honda CR-Z

This is, far and away, the most important car that Honda has produced in decades. As a company that built their reputation on producing reliable, economical and diminutive runabouts, Honda has been steadily moving towards larger and larger vehicles ever since, with sometimes questionable results. But with the CR-Z sports hybrid, they’re set to return to their small-car roots in a very big way.

And although that may call up images of the old CVCC for some Honda fans, the reality is that the new CR-Z’s styling is about as retro as any new Honda’s liable to receive. With a truncated tail that most strongly recalls the Honda CR-X of the early ‘90s, the new CR-Z boasts an identical coefficient of drag to the slippery 2010 Insight; a vehicle that’s a full 11.7 inches longer. Forced to manage airflow over the CR-Z’s much shorter length, Honda’s designers were given a unique set of problems to which the solution was, surprisingly enough, that truncated tail indicative of the CR-X and first-generation Insight. Allowing designers to install nearly horizontal glass in the rear hatch and thus extending the roofline as far possible, the CR-Z’s rear is devoid of much of the drag associated with more traditional hatchback designs through the elimination of much of the turbulence that surrounds less rakish designs. Out front, a uniquely curved windshield directs airflow around the narrow tapered cabin, aided by a set of slippery side view mirrors suspended on wing form mirror supports. Directing air over the squat rear fender flares, this accomplishes much of the same effect as the long roofline; smoothly directing air over the body and avoiding turbulence.

The fact that it looks absolutely stunning is, if you believe the Honda press materials, almost a complete coincidence. But with such fine detailing as the blue-tinted lenses within the headlights and awesome looking triangular taillights, you’d be kidding yourself if you thought that the CR-Z’s appearance was solely the result of its extensive wind tunnel testing.  Although the fender flares may help smooth out the neighboring airflow, they also look fantastic, as do the aggressively tapered side windows. A surprising amount of my normally-comatose fellow drivers noticed the wedge-like CR-Z’s shape slicing through traffic, and the car got more than its fair share of compliments. It isn’t perfect though; the rear wheel offset is quite dramatic in its inboard wheel placement, and the three shades available to us Canadians (grey, white and blue) are all relatively staid for a vehicle such as this that courts the younger generation’s wallets. However, neither of those things are irreparable, as the many CR-Z show cars extant can attest to.

However, one thing most drivers won’t want to mess with is the excellent interior. Catapulting itself to the top of my personal list, the CR-Z’s interior is part Honda-infused practicality, part starship… both mixed in perfect quantities. To those familiar with the also Fit-based Insight, the dashboard will be somewhat familiar, with the overall dashboard layout borrowing heavily from the Fit. But there are some very un-Honda-like changes, with the most notable being the superlative seats. Both stylish and supportive, they’re all-day comfortable and provide both occupants with perfect seating positions. Then, there’s the piano black trim and hybrid drive system controls that flank the steering wheels. In sharp contrast with the white that trims the lower portions of the cabin, the piano black looks great and should wear fantastically, although it will cause those with dust and fingerprint aversions fits. Complimenting all this are a few aluminum-looking trim pieces that can be found below the centre stack and trimming the interior door pulls. The product of a new vacuum metal-coating process, these pieces should wear exceptionally well, and feel great to the touch.

But the real party piece is the interior’s ridiculous practicality. Sure, it’s sharply styled and well laid out, but it’s also more than capable of handling most chores tossed its way. In the front half there’s a plethora of storage bins and cupholders, most of which are perfectly placed and easily accessible. Although doing without the Fit’s dual glovebox, the CR-Z does benefit from a slightly smaller covered bin mounted atop the centre stack that’s great for wallets and notebooks. iPods and other MP3 players can be squirreled away in a covered compartment all their own below the radio controls, allowing cautious drivers to leave their MP3 players in the car without fearing in impending assault by brick in even the roughest neighborhood. Behind the car’s occupants, a pair of buckets where the rear seats would normally reside (and where the rear set do reside in the Japanese domestic market CR-Z, coincidentally) can keep even larger object close as hand, but fold flat with the rear floor when the need arises. When folded, the cargo area is downright commodious; capable of hauling everything from slightly disassembled road bikes (popping off the front wheel is required) to a few huge travel bags to encased rifles and range bags. Although definitely not as large as say, the cargo bay of a Honda Pilot, most drivers will be surprised at just how much they can fit into the CR-Z’s small footprint thanks to the thoughtful layout of the interior cabin.

Lurking below that flat rear load floor lies the key to the CR-Z’s wonderful existence: a 100-volt Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack powering a 13 horsepower, until-slim brushless DC electric motor sandwiched between the motor and the transmission. Functioning slightly differently than the Integrated Motor Assist systems found in the familiar Insight and Honda Civic Hybrid, the CR-Z’s system is not a true dual mode hybrid drivetrain, meaning the car cannot be moved by electric power alone. Instead, the 1.5 litre four cylinder remains the major motivational force beneath the CR-Z sloping and sculpted hood, with the tiny little electric motor providing an addition 58 pound-feet of torque when required. Of course, all this advanced electronic wizardry is extensively controlled by the car’s ECU, which prevents over- or under-charging of the battery as well as allowing the driver to select one of three driving modes: Eco, Normal, or Sport.

And those three modes are, believe it or not, very distinct in their operation. In Eco, the car feels as if it’s dragging one massive anchor from its shapely tail, and will cause even the most heavy-footed of drivers to wonder if one of the underhood hamsters hasn't fallen off his wheel. In normal mode, the car is still relatively sedate, but can be cajoled into carousing as long as one ignores the upshift indicator and glowing blue ball that backlights the tachometer; both features of the driver feedback system designed to keep drivers aware of the impact their driving style may have on their fuel economy (the glowing blue ball fades to green when you’ve reduced the load on the engine, indicating good fuel economy returns). But it’s sport mode that really lets the CR-Z come into its own. Trading the blue/green ball for a bright red one, Sport mode kills the entire driver feedback system and trades economy for power, rewarding the driver with quicker throttle response and a hybrid system that’s all too willing to turn stored voltage into torque. But it’s somewhat disconcerting for those well-versed with Honda’s various performance cars, as the huge increase in torque gives the engine a much more robust feel than the high-rpm, ear-assaulting power normally granted by Honda’s fast VTEC powerplants.

That’s not to say it isn’t good though. In fact, I’d wager it’s actually better suited to the CR-Z’s personality than the high-rpm sizzle of a Civic Si-sourced K20. Sitting on narrow, low-rolling resistance tires mounted to relatively soft suspension components, the CR-Z is a vehicle that invites the driver to carry as much speed as possible through a given corner, much in the same way Mazda’s personable and much-exalted Miata sports car does. And although Sport mode may liven up the handling with slightly heavier steering, its torque-laden power delivery feels simply perfect when you feel the need to sling the lithe CR-Z down your favourite backroad. Where its sibling, the Civic Si, is all noise and fury, the hybrid CR-Z is serene, content to simply waft down the road in a manner that feels considerably more mature.

Which is odd, given the car’s probably market. With just two seats and the most aggressive styling to come out of Honda’s design studios in recent memory, this is one car that ticks most, if not all of the boxes important to today’s youth: good looking, practical, slightly quirky, economical, and environmentally responsible. Almost the automotive equivalent of the ubiquitous iPod, it doesn’t do everything one could ask of a car, like Ford’s Fusion Hybrid does, but does what it sets out to do like nothing else. And then there’s the price. With a price of just $23,490 (the only option being the CVT transmission), the CR-Z may be the single most compelling reason, of this decade, for people to visit their Honda dealership. As the fifth most economical car available (bettering the now-sixth place Smart ForTwo) and easily the most entertaining car on that list, the CR-Z represents an incredibly important step for Honda as the single best marriage between driving enjoyment and hybrid technology available today. Both bringing Honda back to their roots at the same time as it looks to their future, the CR-Z truly is the best of both worlds.