2013 Honda CR-Z: fresh face for sporty hybrid | CarAdvice

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2013 Honda CR-Z: fresh face for sporty hybrid

HONDA CR-Z
By Tim Beissmann
FIND DEALS

The fresh new face of the Honda CR-Z has been revealed online ahead of the updated sports hybrid’s international debut at the 2012 Paris motor show later this month.

The preview image confirms the 2013 Honda CR-Z scores a revamped front-end with a honeycomb pattern grille and beefier fog lamp housings.

Honda says the car’s revised cabin will benefit from aesthetic enhancements and added equipment.

Both the petrol engine and the electric motor in the upgraded Honda CR-Z will get performance tweaks that will see the car’s total powertrain output climb beyond its current 91kW/174Nm peaks.

The extra power and torque promise to improve acceleration without having a negative affect on the car’s all-important fuel consumption, which is currently rated at 4.7 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

The full details of the 2013 Honda CR-Z will be revealed at its Paris unveiling on September 27.

Honda Australia’a Melissa Cross told CarAdvice the updated model is set to land in local showrooms in the first half of 2013.

The Honda CR-Z remains a niche model for the Japanese manufacturer’s local division, with just 287 units sold across the country over the first eight months of 2012. The compact coupe, which launched in Australia in November 2011, ranges from $34,990 for the CR-Z Sport manual to $40,790 for the Luxury CVT.


 

  • Kampfer

    It doesn’t need a facelift in Australia. It need a price drop.

  • Michael Lock

    Wow!!! 287 across Australia in 9 months….and Wheels awarded this niche totally impractical car COTY for 2011???? Just proves how wrong they where, takes me back to when the Leyland P76 won Wheels COTY…AND lets not forget the CAMIRA…OMFG!!!

    • Galaxy

      In the past, Wheels would simply have held off awarding any car last year, as there wasn’t really any new release that was better than Golf or Polo as a complete model range.  Picking the CR-Z just shows what pressure they were under to give out an award. They could not have given it to the Focus, as they spent months before saying it wasn’t as good as the Golf. Wheels mag should have kept their credibility by giving a non-award for 2011. They probably would have got more publicity anyway.

  • Zaccy16

    It is a good car and looks great but needs a 5-10 thousand price drop then i would consider buying one

    • Dominique Vøn Hütch

      Or it needs to be at least a second faster to 100 whilst retaining the fuel consumption and offer a manual on the luxury, then the niche will be justified.

      • Zaccy16

        Yeah good point, at least it handles brilliantly

  • Daniel

    Say this thing kind of bombed, didn’t it? Just goes to show how out of touch Honda currently is. A lot of people say it’s overpriced, but Volkswagen doesn’t have any trouble off loading Sciroccos at $10,000 more. For starters, it’s not really that sporty. Secondly, the front end it rounded with lots of curves, the rear is edgy with lots of points; the front and back don’t go together and it’s already dated really badly in my eyes. And say what you like but image matters a lot and Honda just isn’t very cool anymore. It’s taken on the same old people/family image it got in the UK. Volkswagen somehow manage to keep a sort of “every man” image going so most people who want a small coupe would probably be more inclined toward a Scirocco, which also drives better, looks better and though more expensive, will depreciate an awful lot slower. 

  • Able

    So more power will help one of the CR-Z’s major problems (a total lack of power) but it will still be too expensive, too ugly and totally impractical. Hey Honda Aus – a CR-Z Luxury manual would be great!

  • Showtime

    I think the styling is alright, just the price and performance is way off

  • PS

    2 things stopped me from buying this car:
    1. Price: It should really have been 5 grand cheaper
    2. Lack of manual in luxury spec

    People can complain all they want about lack of power, there can never be enough. A lot of independent dyno testing out there proves that this car is really pushing around 103kWatt instead of 90kWatt advertised by Honda… and real life acceleration 0-100kmh of 7.8-8.2 seconds instead of 9.8s. 

    • Pauly

      I have read the same with power being around 100KW and 0-100 around the 7.8 – 8.2s mark.

      The issue we have in Australia is that Honda Australia took 2 years to bring the car here! AND THEN! they have the nerve to ask $35,000 (Excluding On Road Costs) for the base model!

      Im not surprised that they have sold so few of them here. Its way too expensive for what it is.

      Honda Australia never ever learn.

      Im more keen to see what Volkswagen have in store for the next generation Scirocco.

      • Guest

         I’ve also read of Honda being very conservative with the power and acceleration figures. They did price it far too high in Aus, in other markets it’s far more competitively priced – i don’t know what Honda Aus is thinking…

  • Schn

    Hopefully that cabin revision doesn’t look as messy as it does with the current model. 

  • Basil Exposition

    Honda… A facelifted Failure! I’m surprised they actually sold any.

  • Dominique Vøn Hütch

    Looks great from the front in that colour though.

  • Clem

    No, thanks. This car is UGLY to me even price drop I still won’t buy it. 

  • Eric V

    I love the CR-Z, but it is over-priced. It is based on the Jazz platform with the modified drivetrain of an Insight. 

    An automatic CR-Z for 30K would be sitting in my driveway right now if such a thing existed. 
    However an automatic CR-Z for 40K?  Sorry.

    • Guest

      Talk to me and I can get you a demo CR-Z Auto for 30k with only $2,500k’s on the clock.

  • AvidF1fan

    “if there’s no racing, there is no Honda..” as much as it pains me to say it but pack up your bags Honda..

  • Superidler

    91kw hatchback that cost more than  accord euro?
    No thanks.

  • Guest

    Considering that when the Hyundai Veloster landed in Australia & immediately went off the showroom floors to buyers, the Honda CR-Z has got serious sales issues with 287 units sold in 8 months. The Veloster was selling like hotcakes & now with the Veloster Turbo, it got even a performance option. Veloster’s pricing is about right on the market whereas the CR-Z is way overpriced & undercooked. Noticed everyone on this mentioned the CR-Z pricing but no one saw the Veloster impact on the CR-Z. VW Sirocco is in a different class to be compared to CR-Z – the would-be buyers would be comparing with the Peugeot RCZ, not CR-Z.