Honda CR-Z voted Japanese Car of the Year 2010

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By Brett Davis | November 10th, 2010

The sporty little CR-X replacement, Honda CR-Z, has just been voted Car of the Year in Japan for 2010. Most of the 60 judges – comprising of car critics, professional drivers and journalists – gave the car the thumbs up for the award.

The judges were pleased with the way the car offered a sporty driving experience whilst also remaining very fuel efficient. Takanobu Ito, Honda president and CEO, recently said,

“We are very proud that the CR-Z has been selected from the strong contenders of new models as the Car of the Year Japan 2010-2011. This award shows that the public has accepted Honda’s aspiration to supply exceptional environmental performance in a fun-to-drive hybrid car at an affordable price, as well as Honda’s desire to spread the joy of owning and driving a car.”

Using hybrid technology, the Honda CR-Z features a 1.5-litre petrol four cylinder engine offering 84kW of power and 145Nm of torque, which is boosted by a 10kW electric motor also contributing an extra 79Nm of torque.

This package then offers fuel consumption figures of 4L/100km for the CVT automatic, and 4.4L/100km for the manual. It can also sprint from 0-100km/h in 10.5 seconds.

Eric

I think it’s odd that a 2door is the JCOTY.

I like the look. A bit of lancer in the front and Peugoet(sp?) in the rear.

Igomi Watabi

Why?

Eric

Impracticable.

Coups a hard to gain entry to back seat for passengers of storage.

Igomi Watabi

But it’s not “Japanese Practical Car of the Year”, it’s just car of the year. Like all COTY awards, they have criteria by which they judge cars, and those criteria apply to coupés as well as other cars. It comes down to fulfilling a design brief or making advancements in filling that brief. The Honda NSX won Australia’s Wheels Car of the Year.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v132/blink_me192/honda.jpg Baji

Not feeling it honda. Even a prius gets to 100 faster. But I think its awesome that Honda’s IMA hybrid system can allow for manual transmissions, unlike other hybrid systems which use either CVT’s or planetary gearsets.

MW

First of all – I don’t think at over 9 seconds (0-100km/h), a fraction of seconds makes much difference. Both are too slow for the typical car enthusiast.

However, you try entering a Prius through a corner at speeds and tell me which car you’d prefer.

If it’s me I’d drive a CR-Z over a prius any day!

Dale

’0-100km/h in 10.5 seconds’ is hardly a ‘sprint’. It seems they got most things right, with the exception of power. There is plenty of hybrid technology out there producing much better figures e.g. Tesla, Porsche. Honda is the largest engine manufacturer in the world, their strength in powerplants should translate to hybrid technologies.
Radbloke

This car just doesn’t make sense. 0-100 in over 10 seconds for a ‘sports’ model would have lacklustre in the ’70′s. This is just plain embarrassing. Pull your head out, Honda.
Arky

I was about to call BS, then realized I couldn’t really name any significant new model from a Japanese manufacturer. Mitsu ASX? Updated Subaru Impreza WRX? Do they qualify?

I suppose the advent of a manual hybrid is a worthy achievement, but they got the power level badly wrong for the CRX to be anything but a joke as a “sporty” car.
http://www.torquehonda.com.au Wil

I really don’t understand some of you readers!! This car is not made for 0-100 in 4.5 secs, or qtr mile and crap like that! If you read some reviews, you’ll find all revieweers are surprised at how well it handle and massive power means nothing if it doesn’t turn!! Besides, if you look first before commenting, you would find that companies have turbo kits available from mild to WILD!!! and are even racing them. And to be the first to release a hybrid with 6 speed manual shows that they are commited to changing the way we think about cars. Callenge youself guys, don’t think Horspower everytime > what sort of world would we leave our children if we don’t start to embrace this technology!

Neil

Nobody is disagreeing with the use of Hybrid technology in a sporty vehicle – quite the opposite, I think many car nuts are applauding it. The issue is this car was sold as something sport and fails to fully deliver. Can it really be a “hot hatch” if doesn’t come up with the full goods? No point having a fantastic handling vehicle if it takes a far too long to power out of the bends.
Dale

I don’t expect it to do sub 5 second 0-100 times, but even a family car or runabout hatch is well and truly quicker than 10 secs. I would think something around 8 seconds would be acceptable for this car.

I’m all for efficient technologies. Tesla shows that you can have efficiency without the loss of performance, and they’ve nowhere near the R&D funds that Honda has.

MF

Thats Tesla are so expensive and the company hasnt even had a profitable year yet. The technology is just very expensive itself. To push this affordable CR-Z 2 seconds faster will prob cost another 10 grands.

Dale

The reason why Tesla hasn’t turned a decent profit yet is because they’re a small company, and as a proportion of their revenue, their R&D costs are massive. This is why they have to charge a large amount for their cars, because they can’t output the volumes that the big manufacturers do, nor do they have the massive dealer network. Honda on the other hand can invest a much smaller proportion of their revenue into R&D, and still end up with many times the amount of R&D funding than Tesla. Tesla will make their money in good time, as Toyota is giving them a fair amount of business, and their brand recognition is growing.

Save It for the track

Which ‘runabout hatches’ are well and truly faster than 10 seconds to 100? Corolla, Yaris, i30, barina, fiesta, i20, polo?? Highly doubtful.

Pauly

There are plenty of reviews on youtube showing you that the CR-Z can get to 100 in around the late 8 second mark. The 10.5 quoted by Honda is quite conservative going off what the Europeans, Japanese and American’s are saying about the car.

PaulS

The 10.5 seconds is actually a figure for the CVT Model… the MT is quoted to be around 10seconds. Both figures in ‘Normal’ driving mode.

Still, you’re right about people on youtube doing 0-100kmh in about 8 seconds with the ‘Sports’ mode on.

Vince

I sat in one of these in Japan and if you are a big guy, forget it. The seats are tiny, cramped and have a very low seating position, almost lying down haha. Kind of felt like a larger RX8. Also forget about the rear seats, not going to happen.
Hooda

So what?

What about World Car of the Year 2010? Its the VW Polo.

bangel

Correct HOODA honda refuses to go down the turbo path , bigger torque than this limp 145 nm is avaiable from the VW 1.4tfsi with better fuel consumption .

Dont forget it sprints 0 to 100k in 10.5secs .

I owed two honda vtir’s in the late 90′s , great cars , down side no torks , the world has moved on honda has not .
http://BMW Crownleyian

The worlds best Automotive industries (Europe) thinks is replied as; “I don’t care what the Europeans think.” Yet they have the worlds most challenging roads and build cars for that that concept. Creating the best Handling cars of all.

Jap’s and Koreans are more focused on the little slow economic car that’s super easy to drive.
It actually makes sense and we see that in their day to day ability to drive.

JabbaTheHutt

I get why it won. Finally back to some sports image for Honda and a perceived boost for Japanese cars in that area. I doubt though that the Japanese ever vote for cars outside of Japan but am happy to be proven wrong.
sos2000

I own a CR-Z and i am so happy with this car…!!!
0-100 in 8,6 seconds
top speed almost 220khm
these stats are the real ones,i dont wanna hear lies 10+ seconds to 0-100!!! <_<

11/10 from me for this car!!! Japan !
Al Juraj

Honda and the JCOTY award giving body have a very close relationship that saw cars like that ugly 7th-gen Civic win the title years ago when there were clearly better cars than it.

The CR-Z is a head-turner, getting its shape from the CR-X of old. But don’t expect it to beat a ricer hatch or Integra at the lights. Real-world consumption is tested to be comparable to a Jazz. It’s a great effort to bridge sportiness with hybrid eco-friendly technology. It’s not perfect, but indeed a sign of things to come. At the moment, however, this very body can form basis of the next Type R.