The Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) recently awarded the Honda CR-Z Modulo M/T as of the Best Sports Car during the 2013-2014 Car of the Year Awards Night held at the Filinvest Tent, Alabang. CAGI is composed of motoring journalists from the broadcast, print and online media who annually conduct qualitative and quantitative tests on participating vehicles.
“We, at Honda, are truly thankful for this recognition and for believing in what the CR-Z can offer,” Mr. Tatsuya Natsume, President and General Manager of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. said. “We would also like to extend our sincerest appreciation to the motoring public for the positive reception you have shown from the start and making us not only the sports car of the year but also the best selling hybrid vehicle in the country” he added.
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 definition to mobility; successfully balancing sporty and eco. The introduction of the CR-Z shows Honda’s commitment to provide products that the market wants from the brand.
The All New CR-Z uses a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine as the main source of power with an electric motor, Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). The efficient combination of these two enables drivers to have a responsive and exciting driving experience; thus achieving excellent fun-to-drive performance and exceptional fuel efficiency.
The CR-Z is equipped with what is called the “Three-mode Drive System”; this feature lets the driver choose whether the hybrid system will be used for added performance, or for efficiency. With the 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 is able to control the engine’s Drive by Wire, motor assist, CVT shift management, Electric Power Steering and air conditioner, depending on the selected mode.
The Plus-Sport System or S+ Button is another feature that makes the CR-Z unique. This Plus-Sport System uses the charge from the battery to power the electric motor and give an additional boost in power enabling more responsive acceleration to achieve additional fun and excitement while driving.
Another Hybrid you say?… yes the Insight is, Its a “mild hybrid”. This car is not available yet here in the Philippines so we don’t have a local price for it, but in other countries, its said to be more affordable than the other hybrids in the market.
A Mild Hybrid is defined as an internal combustion vehicle equipped with an electric motor usually in a parallel configuration, which allows the engine to switch off while the vehicle coasts and brakes, if the engine is stopped, it can restart quickly. Mild Hybrids could also include regenerative braking and power assist to the engine, but do not have an electric/battery only mode.
The Honda Insight has what they call Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). The electric motor is located between the flywheel and the transaxle. It provides motor assist during acceleration and regeneration while coasting or braking.
here’s a video that explains IMA in more detail:
If you look at this car from the front, you’ll see all the Honda design cues and would be forgiven for thinking this could be a Civic, it actually shares more commonalities with the Jazz platform. But that’s as close as its gets, upon closer investigation, you’ll find that the slope of the hood from the front of the car continues all the way to the top if the windscreen to improve aerodynamics.
You’ll notice Projector-type headlights with blue-tinted chrome bezels in front and LED tail lights with blue-tinted chrome bezels out back.
Just like any other car, you get in, turn the key and drive it like you would any other automobile. The car will take care of things like when the electric motor will kick in to assist during acceleration and when it will regenerate electricity to recharge the batteries. Unlike a full hybrid, when you turn the key, you will hear and feel the engine running. There’s a multi-function display in your gauge cluster that tells you when this is all happening, while its all happening.
When you shuffle through the different information it can show you, you’ll come across the some trees with leaves, its the Ecological Drive Assist System or Eco Assist. This is like a little in car game that actually helps you drive economically, the more economical you drive, the more leaves will appear, but the moment you get a little happy with the gas pedal, those leaves will disappear saying you’re not being earth friendly.
Another feature of this system helps you keep an eye on your economical driving through the glow around the gauge cluster, its nice and green when you’re being frugal and turns blue when you aren’t. I guess the car knows you cant be trusted to stay economical, so it has to keep reminding you.
There’s an Econ button (found already in many locally available hondas) on your left side under the aircon vent and what this does is tell the engine management system to dial things back a tad, like throttle response to make this already economical car, EVEN more so.
An interesting feature is its engine start stop technology. If you’re stopped at the traffic lights or caught in grid lock, your engine will stop. Of course this means fuel savings, especially when you’re always caught in traffic jams. The moment you start to lift your foot from the brake pedal, the engine immediately restarts and you’re ready to go on your merry way.
Under the hood its got a 1.3 liter iVTEC 4 cylinder SOHC 8 valve engine and a thin brushless electric motor that puts out 13ps at 1,500 rpms, its torque amounts to 8.1kg/m at 1000 rpms. What this translates to is total power of 99ps at 5,800 rpms and 17kg/m (123 lb/ft) of torque. Transmission comes in one flavor, an economical 5 speed CVT… with paddle shifts.
On the road, you’ll have to remind yourself that this is an economical car so as not to expect say, civic like performance. But the acceleration is actually pretty good considering it is a 1.3 (ok, so it gets help from the electric motor), but once you get over that and over some time see that the trade off is good fuel economy.
The ride is firm, similar to that of the Civic and handling is predictable. Thanks to Electric power steering and 16″ wheels. Underneath and in front are Macpherson Struts and in the back, an H shaped torsion beam to keep the floor low and increase rear luggage space. Again you’ll have to remind yourself this is NOT set up for cornering and slaloms.
Inside, the front seats don’t feel like you were driving an earth friendly car, they’re a bit low, in a sporty sense of course and give good support. In the driver seat, you can see above and through the steering wheel at the gauges.
The big rpm gauge in the middle, to its left a needle that tells you how much assist or charge you’re getting from the electric motor, and on the right, the fuel gauge. The speedometer is on top viewed above the steering wheel. The dash is well laid out, share’s a lot of commonalities and feels just like other regular Honda models.
The luggage space in the trunk is ample at 408 liters and the rear seats can seat 3, split and fold down 60/40. The seats are fabric, nothing different from the fabric that adorns other honda models.
Behind the scenes keeping you safe, there are the Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front SRS airbags for driver and front passenger, Front side airbags, Side curtain airbags for driver and front passenger, Knee bolsters for driver and front passenger, Front passenger Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA). Most of these features available in higher end luxury models but standard in this variant I got to test.
The audio system is good, of course one of my criteria for a “good” means it has to be ipod compatible with USB and aux jack. Even if not too many people play cd’s anymore, you can play mp3 and WMA files burned onto a CD. Sound quality is pretty good, 4 speakers with 2 tweeters help brighten up and bring the sound up front for good staging.
All in all, its a good looking car. Its got good response and handling. Ideally suited for our day to day, city traffic conditions in Metro Manila, it can even handle out of town trips with ease. I especially like how it looks inside.
Sadly its not yet available here. And if Senate Bill No. 2856, “Electric, Hybrid, and Other Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Act of 2011” finally gets passed into law, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. might just consider bringing it in… lets keep our fingers crossed.
There’s an Econ button (found already in many locally available hondas) on your left side under the aircon vent and what this does is tell the engine management system to dial things back a tad, like throttle response to make this already economical car, EVEN more so.
awesome. 