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.
