Will this news excite first generation Honda CR-Z owners?
So far there has been no news of a new Honda CR-Z in production or even in design stage. However, there was a filing in July 29th 2020 for a new Honda CR-Z with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The filing was done in the name ‘for use in automobiles and structural parts’.
Meanwhile, in case you were not following our website, sometime in mid 2016, Honda Japan decided to end the production of the Honda CR-Z after 6 years of sales around the globe.
Well, the CR-Z was not on sale in every market Honda was in, but in most markets like Singapore where it was launched earlier in 2010 with Malaysia seeing its launch only in late 2011 for RM115,000 and then a facelift arrived in February 2013 and priced just a little more at RM119,000.
This ‘Sport Hybrid’ had a great following and revived Honda’s sporting intentions despite its 190Nm of torque.
There was never a tuned version from the factory, a Si or Type-R CR-Z was never considered and this is strange as the CR-Z had the looks and the chassis that could have been enhanced to create a cult car like the CR-X that it was supposedly based on.
The powertrain was simple enough, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor pump out 130 horsepower and 140 lb.-ft. of torque and this worked with either a six-speed manual (RM119k) or a 7-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) (RM123k).
The CR-Z was a completely made-in-Japan product and there was never any input from any of its overseas design centers. While the CR-Z was not the quickest Honda on the road, it did represent a shift in the way people considered hybrid production cars.
Meanwhile the final version of the CR-Z was updated with added boost to help the driver make the best use of this sporty performance. Honda introduced a Plus Sport (S+) boost system. If the battery is more than 50 percent charged, the driver can activate this system using the S+ button on the steering wheel.
When the accelerator is pressed the electric boost begins, delivering increased acceleration for up to ten seconds. A flashing gauge on the dashboard indicates when the system is active. S+ can be used in ECON, Normal or Sport modes.
The revisions to the 2013 Honda CR-Z enhanced its sporty appeal without compromising its impressive fuel economy and low exhaust emissions.
For now, there is no firm statement from Honda Japan on the arrival of a second generation CR-Z.
