Honda CR-Z wins 2011 Wheels COTY

Honda’s frugal and slightly oddball CR-Z has won the 2011 Wheels Car of the Year award. It’s the world’s first hybrid to be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission. Even though it’s powered by a modest 91kW/174Nm 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine with Integrated Motor Assist the Wheels judges applaud the CR-Z’s ability to put a smile on the face of its driver.

Wheels Editor, Bill Thomas, said: “The CR-Z takes the idea of the car in a direction we think it should go. It’s innovative, trendsetting, efficient and fun to drive.

“We think the spirit of Honda shines through. Cars don’t have to be ‘supercars’ to be fun. It’s the CR-Z’s balance of abilities—the combination of price, performance and fun.”

While long time staffer and COTY judge John Carey stated: “Expertly engineered, impressively efficient and with strong safety credentials, the Honda CR-Z is also a genuine joy to drive… Endowed with the kind of handling and steering that invites involvement, the Honda puts a smile on the face of any driver who accepts the invitation.”

The CR-Z beat a field of 28 models, consisting of over 60 cars in total when different model variations were added to the mix. It’s the sixth time Honda has won the award and follows the company’s most recent success with the Accord Euro in 2008.

Honda CR-Z: Wheels Car of the Year 2011

18 January 2012

Honda’s all-new sporty coupe, the CR-Z, has been crowned Wheels Car of the Year 2011.

Honda Australia Director and General Manager Sales and Marketing, Mr. Stephen Collins, is thrilled with the award, further re-enforcing a turning point for Honda.

“The CR-Z is a truly amazing car in a class of its own. We are extremely proud of this award, which joins other accolades for the CR-Z including Japan’s Car of the Year and Top Gear UK Magazine’s Green Car of the Year,” Mr. Collins said.

The world’s first hybrid with a six speed manual transmission, the CR-Z took top honours from a field of 28 models and 64 variants. Wheels judges put the CR-Z through its paces over a week of intensive testing.

Wheels Magazine’s award is the world’s longest continuously running Car of the Year Award. Editor Bill Thomas said; “The CR-Z takes the idea of the car in a direction we think it should go. It’s innovative, trendsetting, efficient and fun to drive.

“We think the spirit of Honda shines through. Cars don’t have to be ‘supercars’ to be fun. It’s the CR-Z’s balance of abilities – the combination of price, performance and fun,” Mr. Thomas said.

Wheels judge, John Carey said of the CR-Z; “Expertly engineered, impressively efficient and with strong safety credentials, the Honda CR-Z is also a genuine joy to drive… Endowed with the kind of handling and steering that invites involvement, the Honda puts a smile on the face of any driver who accepts the invitation.”

The 2011 Wheels Car of the Year Award is the sixth won by Honda. The first was the original Honda Accord in 1977 and the first Japanese car to win the coveted award. Other Honda models to win include the Prelude in 1987, NSX in 1991 (joint with Nissan Pulsar), Odyssey in 1995 and Accord Euro in 2008.

Honda was the first to introduce hybrid motoring in Australia with the launch of the first-generation Insight in 2001. The CR-Z joins the Insight and the Civic Hybrid as part of Honda’s current hybrid offering.

Honda has taken a leadership role in the Australian market by introducing hybrid vehicles that are innovative and fun to drive. While the hybrid category is still in its infancy in Australia, Honda has identified a strong opportunity for growth with more than 750,000 Honda hybrids sold worldwide.

Honda is the world’s biggest engine manufacturer, a leader in automotive research and development and consistently rated a top performer in customer satisfaction. There are more than 400,000 Hondas on the road in Australia and millions of happy customers worldwide.

Honda Launches The All-New Sporty CR-Z

25 November 2011

The highly anticipated Honda CR-Z has hit Australian shores.

The CR-Z features the world’s first 6-speed manual transmission combined with a hybrid drivetrain, and has a sporty aerodynamic form.

Sleek and stylish, the CR-Z evokes the iconic style of the 1980’s CR-X and combines agile, responsive handling with excellent fuel efficiency.

The CR-Z pairs a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine and Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, delivering a combined power figure of 91kW with 174Nm of torque for the manual transmission and 167 Nm for the CVT.

Offering a unique 3-Mode Drive System, the CR-Z can be adjusted to your needs, with NORMAL mode suited to most driving experiences. SPORT mode sharpens the throttle response and changes the parameters of the IMA system to provide more electric motor assistance and secure, solid steering. ECON mode prioritises fuel economy in the operation of the drive-by-wire throttle, ECU, air conditioning and the hybrid system. The Eco Assist function, in conjunction with ECON or NORMAL mode, enables the driver to monitor their fuel efficiency on each journey.

The stylish interior layout has the flexibility to extend usability, with rear seats designed to fold easily and quickly to increase cargo space. The cabin has been ergonomically designed around a cockpit theme, clustering critical controls close to the driver, and the instrument panel has an eye-catching and hi-tech 3D gauge design.

Achieving a five-star ANCAP safety rating – the highest possible – the CR-Z offers an array of standard safety features, including six airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control and brake assist, active head-restraints, ABS, EBD and LED Daytime Running Lights – a first for Honda.

Other safety features include Honda G-Con technology with an Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body that provides higher levels of protection to vehicle occupants while minimising impact to the other vehicle in a collision.

The revolutionary CR-Z is in a class of its own. It will ignite your senses and change your perception of hybrids.

Pricing for the all-new CR-Z will start at $34,990* for the Sport Manual, $37,290* for the Sport with CVT and $40,790* for the Luxury CVT.