Shifting to smaller and lighter-weight vehicles is about the quickest and easiest way to reduce the environmental impact of our cars. But compact cars have never been big sellers in the United States. Could Americans be seduced to downsize their vehicles with an attractive and sporty compact hybrid?
Honda gave its best shot with the CR-Z concept, first introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. “CR-Z” stands for “Compact Renaissance Zero,” which is meant to signify the company’s desire to give birth to a new era for compact vehicles.
Light, sporty and futuristic are the keywords. The design features an oversized front grille with small openings on each side of the front panel. The use of glass on the roof and hatchback carry the theme of air, light and spaciousness—as does the use of mesh materials in the interior. The instrumental panel is sleek and high-tech.
The CR-Z clearly borrows its overall shape from the Honda CRX sports car, a version of the Civic that was produced from 1984 to 1991. The CRX used a small and light profile to translate directly into sporty and speedy. Think of the CR-Z Hybrid concept as CRX meets Insight, Honda’s discontinued teardrop-shaped hybrid two-seater.
But Honda is hardly looking back with the CRX design. The company’s sights are clearly set on its new small and affordable global hybrid, expected in 2009. The company wants to sell 200,000 units of the yet-to-be named new hybrid. To reach those numbers, Honda’s new compact hybrid will need broad appeal—and that requires a redefinition of the very meaning of "compact."
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