Mexican Media Brands
Honda CR-Z Hybrid Refreshed
Honda Motor Co. is tweaking its slow-selling CR-Z hybrid sporty car.
#hybrid
Share
Honda Motor Co. is tweaking its slow-selling CR-Z hybrid sporty car. The new model will bow in Japan in October and arrive in the U.S. later this year.
Exterior changes include a more aggressive front end with a sculpted fascia, new grille, LED headlights (not included on U.S. models) and enlarged fog lights.
The facelift also includes revised side skirts, a new rear bumper and a wider rear track.
The size of the wheels and disc brakes each have grown an inch, and a more open wheel design is used to show them off. New springs and dampers enhance stability.
The CR-Z's hybrid powertrain, which teams a 1.5-liter engine with a small electric motor, is unchanged. The combination produces 130 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque.
On the inside, the refresh includes an electronic parking brake, modified steering wheel, push-button ignition and a new center console. The audio system gets an upgrade that includes an engine sound amplifier to let drivers hear the car's acceleration. An active noise system reduces road noise in the cabin.
U.S. sales of the CR-Z plunged 34% year-over-year through July to less than 1,600 units. Honda hopes the makeover will increase demand to as much as 5,000 units in the U.S. from about 3,500 last year.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Will Alcraft Take Off?
“British electric vehicle start-up Alcraft Motor Company has revealed details of its first car, the high-performance Alcraft GT.
-
Chevy Develops eCOPO Camaro: The Fast and the Electric
The notion that electric vehicles were the sort of thing that well-meaning professors who wear tweed jackets with elbow patches drove in order to help save the environment was pretty much annihilated when Tesla added the Ludicrous+ mode to the Model S which propelled the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.
-
Startup Readies Solar-Powered EV
Germany’s Sono Motors GmbH says it has received 5,000 orders for its upcoming Sion electric car, which can be partially recharged by it attached solar panels.