Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z coming to America next fall with six-speed manual!
by Sam Abuelsamid on Oct 21st 2009 at 5:50PM 
Honda CR-Z concept 2009 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda fans of all sorts have cause to celebrate today with the reveal of the 2009 iteration of the CR-Z coupe. In typical Honda fashion, this CR-Z remains a concept in name and detail only. What you see here is essentially the production coupe that will go on sale in Japan next February and then arrive in North America in the Fall.
The cool scoop-like grille from the original 2007 concept has been largely carried over, with the biggest changes being a somewhat taller roof and a more upright windshield with blacked out A-pillars – concessions to the fact that real people will have to fit into the production car. On the exterior, the only elements likely to change once it hits the assembly line are the side mirrors, which will probably be a bit larger, along with the internals of the light clusters.
The good news for fans of the much-loved 1983-1991 Civic CR-X is that the CR-Z should have significantly better performance than the disappointing new Insight, a car that is geared more toward fuel economy than performance. In any case, the CR-Z coupe gets a bump in displacement up to 1.5-liter and – wait for it – a six-speed manual gearbox! This will be the first hybrid with a row-it-yourself six-speed.
Unfortunately, we probably won't hear any official numbers on the drivetrain's output or its mileage until closer to the Japanese launch, but color us excited – and you can share some of our joy by checking out the high-res image gallery below.
Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z concept
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
alexacoon 6:21PM (10/21/2009)
I loved my '87 and if i can hold out that long I would certainly put this at the top of a very short list. Other than a Accent a Golf TDI seems to be the only real contender for me but at $24K or better It's difficult to rationalize. Anyone know what Honda will be asking for a CRZ? More than an Insight? A LOT more??
Reply
wincros 7:30PM (10/21/2009)
I don't think you can even guess until you know the specs. Certainly it is going to be more than the Insight. If it is a high performance replacement for the S2000 that was discontinued it could be more than $30K. If its performance is in the the Civic stratum, probably $25/26K
Reply
alexacoon 8:22PM (10/21/2009)
From poking around elsewhere, unless it goes even further upmarket 24K or so to start is likely. Considering I've read reports where the insight does poorly in cold weather I would be better of with the Golf TDI if that was my primary concern. I'm torn between waiting or replacing my well worn ZX3 before the $1,400 incentive on the TDI expires at the end of the year.
EV-1 7:42PM (10/21/2009)
" ... up to 1.5-liter and – wait for it – a six-speed manual gearbox! "
- Still a teenager, are you ?
Call me an old fart but anything that hooks us locked up and tied down to
clutches, gearboxes, camshafts, exhausts, sparkplugs, radiators, fuelpumps, oilfilters, silencers, thermostats, ignition-systems, flywheels, cooling-fans, throttles, waterpumps, manifolds, catalytic converters, camchain tensioners, ignition coils, fuel injectors, starter motors ( YES ! the shitty crap can't even start by itself ! ), and all the smoke and noise and pollution that has sent this world we've inherited as managers into so much war and pain and ruin
is just insulting our dignity as humans.
Grow up
Reply
tarmacblog 7:52PM (10/21/2009)
A well-operated manual gearbox and clutch combination is still more efficient than any auto or CVT save for perhaps the current breed of dual-clutch autos (which are closer to manual boxes in operation anyway). In this application, a good manual is FAR preferable to any auto. It's a sporty coupe so driving fun will benefit, and yet it's also a mild hybrid so efficiency will benefit if used well.
Ever wondered why original Insights with the manual box achieve far greater economy than the auto ones, and why all the hypermilers try and find the manual ones?
Widen your own horizons before you start telling others to "grow up".
MikeW 8:34PM (10/21/2009)
Lean burn combustion denied to you when you get the CVT.
Chris M 8:19PM (10/21/2009)
Sorry, Tarmacblog, but the electric CVT used in Toyota and Ford hybrids give far better fuel economy than any manual transmission could, and does it smoothly, without jerks or grinding gears or coordinating clutch/gas/brakes, or any other hassles typical for manual transmissions. I've driven stick shift for years, I don't miss it one bit and I'm glad it is obsolete.
alexacoon 8:36PM (10/21/2009)
Apparently you just don't know how to have fun driving a moderately powered car; with no control over the CVT you cant immediately down-shift and eek out everything your motor has to offer when you really need or want it, nor shift into high gear more quickly when for example you can see traffic ahead and have no need to hurry. As good as a CVT is they cant read your mind and anyone who is genuinely fond of driving wants to be in control and not wait for the drivetrain, whatever it might be to figure out what you intend to do.
A CVT would be perfect for someone like a good friend of mine who tells me often he just wants a car to get him where hes going; I doubt many people like that will be interested in a CRZ
EV-1 9:01PM (10/21/2009)
@"tarmacblog"
The only reason that patchwork of crap called combustion engine need a gearbox in the first place is the outright *lousy* powerband that's inherent in the concept !
THE CONCEPT OF BURNING STUFF TO GET POWER IS INCOMPRIHENSIBLY BAD.
More than 2/3 of the energy is completely *wasted* in heat , just going out the tailpipe.
Over hundred years have proved it to be the dead end it was from the beginning (in the 1800s they didn't know better - or actually they did, but greed prevailed over clean, quiet self-starting efficient electric motors).
After all these years of noise and pollution, it's long overdue to choose a new path ; EVERY STEP along that old, inefficient, environmentally offensive path is a step in the *wrong* direction.
>>> Yesterday, the WWF publicised a report estimating the time window to correct the polluting greenhouse gases as narrow as five ( 5 ! ) years, beyond which
the tipping point of irreversible warming. You know, there are children coming after us :
their right is to ask "Did you really do all you could ?"
Wake up
To me, it's sad to see the utter conservatism among 'motor-enthusiasts'.
I've spent many years on standard and racing engines ( embarrassing as it is), I've "been there, done that". Obviously there are big hurdles in the way toward EVs, but
I will not keep quiet when there's tesing like "sporty, sleek, manual six-speed" car
when it's got such an appalling waste of energy as that of an ICE.
tifosiotaku 10:04PM (10/21/2009)
Please tell me this is a stealth troll...
Gordio 12:11AM (10/22/2009)
I don't understand why you think gearboxes are bad. that hurts your credibility. If an electric car had a gearbox it would get better performance, fuel efficiency, and higher top speed. The reason electric cars don't have a tranny is b/c "they don't need it" not b/c they're bad. in fact, they're good. For example, lab centrifuges or industrial blendersn (electric powered) have gear boxes b/c it's the only way to get it to spin fast enough for a certain power input.
Snowdog 10:43AM (10/22/2009)
ABG. The home of the zealots.
It is funny here. We have complete Diesel, Ethanol, and EV zealots. Though we lost our main (paid) H2 zealot, but I think there a few minor H2 zealots still lurking.
Collectively they probably represent 5% of the population and they are all convinced they are the solution to all our problems.
Watching the reaction to new cars that don't do what they want is funny. You would think someone strangled their puppy. Geez.
EV-1 9:07PM (10/21/2009)
APOLOGISE FOR DOUBLE-POSTING
( nothing happened five times in a row - - - ? )
Reply
tifosiotaku 10:05PM (10/21/2009)
Again, please tell me this is a stealth troll.
Reply
jake 10:11PM (10/21/2009)
While I certain am a BEV enthusiast, I realize a vast majority of people in the world are not and it will take a while before BEVs hit "mainstream".
Therefore the idea of a 1.5L on a 6 speed doesn't sound to bad. It's still better than a lot of cars we have now.
Reply
Gordio 12:08AM (10/22/2009)
Well I think many BEV believers know that it's not the time for mainstream BEVs. but in the meantime we'll have these sporty hybrids or sporty diesels.
and for EV1: your expectations are unrealistic. if you think this car is a failure you are wrong. do you know why gas engines beat electrics in the 1900s? sex appeal, not practicality.
if you ever want to win the war against gasoline engines, you must increase sex appeal (or marketing, or hype, or cool factor) of hybrids and/or EVs. sporty cars like this or tesla ARE NECESSARY for this progress
Snowdog 12:59AM (10/22/2009)
Can I have a more affordable version with a 1.8L base civic engine and no hybrid.
That I would buy, but this is likely going to over priced and kind of slow and not get much better MPG than the 1.8L.
Reply
Invisible 9:30AM (10/22/2009)
Then buy a Civic!
Snowdog 9:34AM (10/22/2009)
There is no hatchback civic. I don't buy cars with trunks.
I don't want the Fit either with the buzzy little 1.5.
But I would take any of the CR-Z, Fit, or Civic Hatch (euro) if offered here with the 1.8.
The 1.8 gets just as good highway mpg as the 1.5 with a lot less buzzing.
pantaogong 5:14AM (10/22/2009)
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS!!! PUT ME ON THE PREORDER!!!
Reply