One of the world's most economical coupes is the new hybrid Honda CR-Z. Its a defining car because its the worlds first hybrid 2 door coupe and also the CR-Z is the only hybrid car with a manual gearbox you can currently buy.
The Honda CR-Z has a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder engine and a small 10kW electric motor powered by nickel metal hydride batteries. The car is a mild hybrid - the electric motor assists the internal combustion engine and cannot power the car alone. The 1.5 liter engine has 84 kW of power and maximum combined power output is 91 kW at 6100 rpm (although the electric motor produces 10 kW it can't operate at maximum power when the engine is also at its peak).
Fuel economy on the combined cycle is 5.0 litres per 100km. Toyota's Prius, for comparison, uses just 3.9 litres per 100km. So although not as efficient as the most economical cars you can buy, it is a very economical sports coupe. Carbon dioxide emissions are 117g/km. Honda have compromised on fuel efficiency for a better driving experience. That's why there's a more powerful engine than Honda's most popular hybrid, the Insight, and why the CR-Z comes with a six speed manual. Both sacrifice some fuel in favor of a more engaging drive.
The Honda CR-Z is a beautiful looking sports coupe and visually reminds you of the CR-X coupe. It has a classic sports car wedge shape which ends abruptly at the rear in a sharp vertical drop to decrease aerodynamic drag and improve efficiency. Its short, wide and low to the ground to ensure good road handling.
Now for the bad news. Anyone hoping for sports car performance from the Honda CR-Z is going to be very disappointed and should look elsewhere. As Honda spokesman Christoph Rust puts it the CR-Z is a "sporty car - not a sports car." According to Honda, sporty is defined by the cars character and road handling and not by how fast it is. Thats just as well because the Honda CR-Z must surely be one of the slowest sports coupes out there. It finally reaches 60 mph (or 100 kph) in 9.9 seconds. Again the reason why this sporty coupe is so slow is in the name of compromise. Honda haven't opted for a more powerful engine because fuel consumption would suffer. Honda are relying on people to fall in love with the image of the car and its road handling rather than outright performance. They certainly have made a fun and great handling car, especially considering its carrying heavy hybrid battery packs. Having said that Honda have made an effort to make this economical sports coupe as light as possible and its lighter than the hybrid Insight at 1147 kilograms.
The instrument panel of the Honda CR-Z is largely borrowed from the hybrid Insight. It has the same "eco" display with up to five sprouting leaves depending on your long term driving habits. Go easy on the gas and more of Honda's leaves will sprout. Go heavy on the gas and they'll be taken away. Similarly the tachometer and speedo change color as they do in the Insight, although this time its not only dependant on your current driving style but also which of the three throttle maps you've chosen - economy, normal or sport. Other features of this efficient sports hybrid include a decent audio system with an iPod docking station, bluetooth, leather seats and alloy door handles. The rear seats are only good for small children but there is 400 liters of cargo space once the rear seats are folded down. Safety is good with six airbags and stability control as standard.
Honda's most economical coupe costs about 10% more than their hybrid Insight and has less space and is less fuel efficient. From a practical point of view it doesn't stack up but if sports looks are important to you and you're after a more fun car to drive then it could be worth considering. Just don't expect the car's engine to back up the sports looks!
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