Honda Cars : Honda CR-Z Tuned | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Not sure where this comes from but thought I'd pass it on, nice pic, thanks for the tip Ron!

Honda Cars : Honda's latest is sexy, green and an Internet hit | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The 2010 Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe is one of the most eagerly anticipated new cars, so much so that a Japanese consumer brochure has been leaked and posted on the Internet, where it's drawn hundreds of thousands of hits.

The manufacturer seems out to prove that green cars can also be sexy in the looks department. The final design is much the same as the concept version revealed last year, with some minor changes not immediately evident in the brochure.

The brochure reveals that the CR-Z is powered by a gas-fuelled 1.5-litre i-VTEC internal combustion engine that produces 114 hp at 6,000 revs as well as 145Nm of torque at 4,800 revs. The engine operates with a 14-hp electric motor with an output 78Nm of torque, matched to a six-speed manual transmission.

The CR-Z is expected to go on sale in Japan by February 2010, shortly before its launch in other major world markets.

-Viridian Joule hardly rolls off the tongue but in an online contest by General Motors, it garnered more than 3,000 votes as the signature colour for the new Chevy Volt electric/ gas car set for launch next year.

It also won the man who came up with the paint name, David Thomas of Florida, the first opportunity to drive a pre-production version of the new family sedan.

"I looked at the photo of the Volt on the contest website and thought it looked emerald in color, which led to jewel and then to an alternate yet appropriate play on that word -joule [a unit of electrical energy]," said 40-year-old Thomas.

Chevrolet also selected "EVergreen," offered by Devin McQuarrie, 30, and "environMINT," entered by Matthew Valbuena, 30, both of California.

"When our Volt marketing materials arrive in dealerships, you'll see 'Viridian Joule'as the official name of the silver exterior with an emerald hue," said Maria Rohrer, Global Volt and Global Marketing Director at Chevrolet.

The Chevy Volt is an electric vehicle capable of driving up to 100 kms between fill-ups on electricity. When the Volt's lithium-ion battery is depleted, an engine/generator operates to extend the range to about 480 kilometres before refueling or recharging is necessary.

-Fiesta Movement agents and their Twitter friends gathered at the Palladium in West Hollywood to set a new Guinness World Record for the "most attendees at a tweetup"

A tweetup is any gathering of two or more people who know each other through Twitter, and this unprecedented event brought together Fiesta Movement agents and Twitter friends.

Ford's Fiesta Movement Awards Celebration provided attendees with a sneak peek of the North American Fiesta.

100 young folks are test driving and living with a European-spec Ford Fiesta for six months, travelling as agents on special missions. They then go on to relate their experiences through a variety of social media sites.

These agents -picked from online contestants across the U.S.-have travelled more than 2.25 million kilometres and generated more than 6 million YouTube views, nearly 740,000 Flickr views and more than 3.7 million Twitter impressions of the car.

"Time and again, our Fiesta Movement agents have shown how social media, adventurous spirit and unbridled enthusiasm can bring people together in new, exciting ways," said Connie Fontaine, Ford brand content and alliances manager. "Never before has a group of car owners created such a sustained buzz for a new car."

Source;
http://www.kelowna.com/2009/12/11/hondas-latest-is-sexy-green-and-an-internet-hit/

Honda Cars : Tokyo Motor Show Preview: Honda | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

CHIBA, Japan — When it comes to hybrid cars, Honda is still looking for a car that will trump its archrival, Toyota, and its perennial best-selling Prius.

Its last couple of efforts, the Civic Hybrid and Insight, haven’t quite managed to dethrone the Prius, although each has been a modest sales success. Honda hopes to take the hybrid market in a slightly different and new direction with its latest hopeful, the CR-Z two-seat sports car, which will be introduced at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

The CR-Z concept shown in Tokyo is essentially now in production form. The car is scheduled to go on sale next spring in the United States and as early as February in Japan.

The attraction of the CR-Z, according to Honda, is high performance coupled with good fuel economy. Pricing is also an issue, but that hasn’t been announced yet. Honda promises it will be “affordable.” Figure on something costing about $25,000.

The CR-Z evokes memories of the CRX, a cult favorite of the 1980s.

The car’s designer, Takaski Nagura, said, “We want to take sporty cars in a new direction. We want to make the image healthier.”

Power comes from a 1.5-liter version of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system. (The Civic and Insight use 1.3-liter systems.) Instead of the usual, boring automatic or CVT transmissions, the CR-Z will offer a 6-speed manual.

The CR-Z is the highlight of what promises to be an unusually eclectic Honda display — even by Tokyo’s traditionally whimsical standards. For the first time, because of consolidations of exhibitors at the show, Honda’s automotive products will be joined by everything else Honda makes. This is will include motorcycles, garden tillers and generators. The various motorized machines will be powered by electricity, gasoline, hydrogen and even butane.

Vehicles include the Hello! mobility device, the latest FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell prototype, a unicycle personal mobility machine called the U3-X, 2- and 4-wheel scooters and the quirky EV-N.

The EV-N is a battery-electric minicar concept, with sort of an odd retro theme – although it is difficult to relate it to anything that has come before.

Honda is also showing a concept minivan called the Skydeck. It features seating for six, a glass roof, scissor doors and an far-out interior you will likely find only at an auto show — or a Tokyo love hotel. More importantly, the Skydeck suggests a future version of an Odyssey-style minivan that could be powered by a hybrid powertrain.

Source;
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/tokyo-motor-show-preview-honda/

Honda Cars : 2011 Honda CRZ Pic | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Staying pretty close to the concept below....but I gotta say it looks a lot nicer than the concept.
Source;
http://www.burlappcars.com/2009/09/2011-honda-cr-z.html

Honda Cars : Honda throws down green car gauntlet | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda Motor is stepping up its “green car” challenge to Toyota, adding two petrol-electric hybrid vehicles to its line-up next year, including a hybrid version of its top-selling Fit sub-compact.

Takanobu Ito, Honda’s chief executive, said the Japanese carmaker was also developing a more powerful hybrid drive for larger vehicles that will use two electric motors alongside its petrol engine, the same configuration used in Toyota’s dominant Prius hybrid.

Honda has emerged this year as Toyota’s most serious rival in low-emission vehicles. Its Insight hybrid, revived after a three-year production hiatus, has been a hit, particularly in Japan, where it was briefly the best-selling full-sized car before being eclipsed by the newest version of the Prius.

Honda’s decision to launch a hybrid version of the Fit extends its strategy of competing primarily on price.

The car, which is called the Jazz in Europe and some other regions, will use the Insight’s single-motor hybrid drive, which is cheaper to build but less powerful or fuel-efficient than Toyota’s two-motor system.

The Fit is likely to be the most affordable hybrid yet, a distinction now held by the Y1.89m ($20,400) Insight. Mr Ito said Honda would begin selling the car in Japan by the end of next year, but did not give a timetable for an international roll-out.

Honda’s other planned hybrid offering, the small CR-Z concept sports car, is to go on sale domestically in February and will also use the single-motor drive.

Honda is hoping to increase hybrid sales to 500,000 hybrid cars a year early in the next decade, equivalent to 15 per cent of its current sales volume.

“We want to transfer the Insight’s affordable hybrid technology to other models as quickly as possible,” said Mr Ito, who took over as Honda chief executive last month.

Toyota plans to launch four new hybrids in Japan and three overseas next March, and has said it wants to offer hybrid versions of all its cars by 2020.

Honda has also been working on “clean diesel” systems and has built a prototype hydrogen fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, which it began leasing to a handful of customers in California last year.
Mr Ito suggested Honda was now more firmly focused on hybrids, saying it was “struggling” to make heavy diesel engines cheaply and that the infrastructure needed to process and distribute hydrogen “isn’t moving forward”.

He said he wanted to turn Honda, whose earnings have held up better than most carmakers’ during the slump, into an even leaner and more flexible operation. Honda will use more locally made parts in cars it sells in China, India and other emerging markets, he said, in order to keep costs down and compete with local rivals, and will reduce the number of domestic-only models it sells in Japan.

Source;
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/42f0aa7a-6f99-11de-bfc5-00144feabdc0.html

Honda Cars : Hybrid version of Honda CR-ZX coming to the Tokyo Motor Show | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Due to the success of the recently launched Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, it appears that Honda wants to be the first Japanese manufacturer who is launching a hybrid sports car. The new vehicle which will be based on the Insight, represents a second series of the CR-ZX, and according to Best Car Magazine will make its official debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

Under the hood, the new vehicle will feature a 1.3-liter (possibly 1.5-liter) engine capable to deliver an incredible fuel consumption of just 3.6 l/100 km. More details to be revealed! Also check the news about the hybrid successor of the Toyota Supra!

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/hybrid-version-of-honda-cr-zx-coming-to-the-tokyo-motor-show/

Honda Cars : Honda Plans Hybrid Push | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

DETROIT – Fueled by the new Insight and at least two more models in the pipeline, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. hopes to boost annual hybrid sales to 500,000 units in 2015.


In 2008, the auto maker sold 57,000 units, mostly Civic Hybrids, with several hundred Accord Hybrid.




If Honda achieves its target, hybrids will account for an estimated 10% of its global sales, says Yasunari Seki, the Insight’s chief engineer.


Seiki reiterates in an interview the auto maker plans to introduce a hybrid sports car in 2010. Then, probably in 2013 – although he would not confirm a launch date, Honda will follow with a hybrid version of the Fit, which may or may not be sold in North America.


The sports car will be based on the CR-Z concept unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Seki notes the production model will be equipped with the same motor and battery as the Insight but boast a more powerful engine, most likely displacing 1.5L. The Insight has a 1.3L engine. The CR-Z powerplant will not be turbocharged, he says.


Seki indicates the Fit Hybrid will employ the same single-motor system as the Insight, although most likely an improved version.


In developing the current model, Honda reduced hybrid system size and cost 30% and 40%, respectively, from that of the Civic Hybrid. The auto maker’s 5-year development target is for a further 25% size and cost reduction.


Including the Insight’s 101-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack, the Insight’s integrated motor assist (IMA) hybrid system weighs 128 lbs. (58 kg), 20% less than the Civic Hybrid system at 158 lbs. (72 kg).


Seki doesn’t confirm the cost of the Insight’s hybrid system, but does concede it is in the range of ¥100,000-¥150,000 ($1,000-$1,500).




The chief engineer notes the Insight’s model life will be five years and that Honda will have five hybrids in its lineup by 2015, meaning the Insight is likely to undergo another model change in 2014.


Meanwhile, he says no decision has been reached regarding Honda’s plans to switch to a lithium-ion battery pack from NiMH. But by making that move, he says, the auto maker would be able to cut battery size and weight in half, as Li-ion has twice the energy density of NiMH.


Bringing down battery costs is another matter, according to Seki, and will depend in part on increasing production volume.


On April 1, Honda entered into a joint venture with a subsidiary of GS Yuasa Corp. to develop and manufacture Li-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles. GS Yuasa says production startup is scheduled for 2013.


The battery will be based on GS Yuasa’s EH6 unit rated at 6 ampere-hours with energy density of 67 watt-hours per kg.


Separately, Tomohiko Kawanabe, a senior managing director at Honda R&D Co. Ltd., notes engineering targets for Li-ion batteries are between $500 and $800 per kWh, down from current $1,000-$2,000 levels. “I think $50 is necessary, but it is difficult to say when that can be achieved,” he says.


Seki also confirms Honda is developing a 2-motor hybrid system – although not necessarily the same concept as used by Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius. However, the auto maker has no immediate plans to introduce such a model.


Nevertheless, the chief engineer believes 2-motor systems hold potential for larger vehicles, such as the Ridgeline pickup or Odyssey minivan. “We think the technology is good for fuel economy,” he says.


But a 2-motor setup is less viable for smaller cars, such as the Fit, Insight or Civic, due to packaging constraints, Seki contends. The Prius battery and motor-generator are 2.5 times larger than that of the Insight, he notes.


Concerning mild hybrid stop-start systems, Seki hints Honda is considering such technology for its minivehicle lineup – currently comprising such 0.66L models as the Life, Acty, Vamos and Zest. He gives no timeframe for such a debut, however.


Honda does not include stop-start systems in its hybrid sales forecasts.


Seki is confident Honda will meet the Insight’s 2010 sales goal of 200,000 units, although last December Honda CEO Takeo Fukui cast doubt on whether the target would be reached. And while Seki predicts North America will be the Civic Hybrid’s main market, he believes the Insight will make inroads into Europe, where Honda is projecting 2010 sales of more than 30,000 units.


In addition to Europe, Honda hopes to sell 100,000 Insights in North America (including 90,000 in the U.S.) and 60,000 in Japan.




Turning to the Insight’s suppliers, Seki confirms Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. is producing the model’s battery pack. The unit, which like the Civic Hybrid’s 53-lb. (24-kg) pack employs 12 cylindrical cells per 14.4-volt module, weighs only 33 lbs. (15 kg), or 38% less.


The weight savings was achieved by using fewer modules – seven, compared with 11 for the Civic Hybrid. Power also was reduced as a result, from 158 volts to 101 volts.


In a technical paper presented at the SAE World Congress in April, Honda engineers say weight and volume of the power control unit was reduced 31% and 10%, respectively, by integrating the inverter, DC-DC converter and electronic control unit into a single package.


Specifically, the Insight’s inverter is 36% lighter and 35% smaller than the Civic Hybrid unit. The DC-DC converter is 46% lighter, largely the result of making the heat sink smaller, while the auto maker trimmed motor weight 15% by downsizing the stator and rotor yoke.


Other suppliers include Keihin Corp. (battery ECU, engine and transmission ECU and motor power drive unit), TDK Corp. (DC/DC converter) and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (motor inverter).
Honda produces the Insight’s Multimatic S-CVT continuously variable transmission at its Hamamatsu, Japan, plant.


The auto maker assembles the hybrid’s 1.3L gasoline engine, motor and intelligent power unit on sublines in its Suzuka, Japan, facility.


A new motor line, which began operation in November, has capacity for 180,000 units, raising total motor production capacity on the plant’s two lines to 250,000.


Seki notes the auto maker has tripled motor production speed by improving winding operations and other processes.


Honda also manufactures the Insight’s regenerative braking system in-house, although sources say the car’s main braking system is from Continental AG.


The auto maker estimates 36% of Insight components are carried over from the Fit, Civic Hybrid and other models.



Source;

http://wardsauto.com/ar/honda_hybrid_push_090601/

Honda Cars : Forbes: In Pictures: The Cars You'll Drive in 2014 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

6. Honda CR-Z
Highlights: The 140-horsepower sporty hybrid concept will include the motor and battery platform currently used in the Honda Insight. Honda execs say it will be fun to drive, efficient and affordable.

Why we care: The two-seater is designed to remind drivers of the CRX, Honda's popular front-wheel drive sports car from the 1980s. The company has confirmed it will bring CR-Z (shorthand for "Compact Renaissance Zero") to dealer floors in the next few years.
Read on for more lists, rankings and auto coverage including facts about what Fiat means in the U.S. and why some cars are still selling, despite the auto industry downturn.

Here is the link to the Source and the rest of the cars, it's a pretty cool read;
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/20/future-car-models-lifestyle-vehicles-future-car.html

Honda Cars : Honda may introduce 2 new hybrid sports cars in the near future | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Above is the upcoming CRZ hybrid....

Here is a joint venture (chinese company) prototype of something that could pass as a S2000 replacement....

Following the introduction of the second generation Insight, Honda has recommitted itself to developing hybrid drive vehicles. We now have the Civic and Insight in North America and Japan will soon have a Fit hybrid as well. Honda has also confirmed that a production version of the CR-Z concept will arrive within the next year as a hybrid coupe. It's being reported that the production CR-Z may have a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine with direct injection. If true, that would be Honda's first direct injected production engine.

A second new sporty hybrid could be a successor to the soon to be discontinued S2000 roadster. If Japan's Best Car magazine is to be believed, the car they refer to as FF-S2000 will be powered by Honda's 3.5-liter V6. it will apparently also use Honda's all wheel drive system. The FF-S2000 may even use a flywheel based KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) like those developed for Formula 1 to provide a further performance boost. It's not known if KERS would be used in addition to or in lieu of Honda's IMA hybrid system. Unfortunately, we have no confirmation of any of this at this point.

Source;

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/05/24/honda-may-introduce-2-new-hybrid-sports-cars-in-the-near-future/

Honda Cars : TOV: Mag-X brings some 2012 Civic and 2011 CR-Z info to light | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This is straight from Temple of Vtec....
TOV Reader Frank Oppermann sent in this scan from the pages of the June.09 issue of Mag-X. I bounced them back across the Atlantic to danielgr, our resident multilingual specialist and he provided a quick rundown on the contents of these pages. He will provide more details (if there are any) after he has had more time to review what's said. Following is the e-mail response from Daniel:

Hi Jeff, Right now I don't have the time, nor the required dictionary to really go through it, but I can tell you what they are talking about in short.

Top-left is the CR-Z picture (the 21st century CR-X), from which they say: - 1.5L engine with both CVT and 6MT available.
- Monthly target sales : 850 JP, 2500 Europe, 1500 North America.
- Expect to see a production prototype in this year's Tokyo Motor Show.
- Expect an introduction in early 2010

The rest, the main article, is about the next-generation Civic.
- (warning) Not 100% sure, but it seems that there will be a "Japanese version" with a body in between a 3box (sedan) and 2 box (hatch).

The internationally sold Hybrid will have that "unique" (outside Japan) body. Otherwise, Europe will keep on having hatches developed within the Fit platform, and NA their traditional sedan and coupe.

- The hybrid will be THE Honda going head to head with the Prius, and use a 1.5L engine + motor ( I guess they are guessing it will be pretty close to the CR-Z unit...).

- Expect new Civics to arrive in 2011.

The old picture of the 72 Civic echoes their comments on the supposed "unique" styling of the "new JDM Civic". They say that at the time Honda surprised Japan with a 2 box FF car when Corollas and Sunny's were 3box FR sedans. So basically it's something like : "Honda did it again" (i.e. find their own original way).

I won't be able to tell you accurately about the part marked with with "warning" until tonight. They also say something about the TypeR, but I understand it sooooo roughly that I won't say anything about it.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=831062

Honda Cars : Honda's Ace in the Hole, The 2011 Honda CRZ Hybrid | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda has something that Toyota doesn't and it just might be want Honda needs to outgun Toyota in the hybrid war between the two companies. What is this little something that Honda has? The 2011 Honda CRZ Hybrid.

The Honda CRZ is a two seat hybrid disguised in a sports car body or a sports car fitted with a hybrid powertrain. Though Honda wanted to make the CRZ in a gasoline version too, they decided to make it as a dedicated hybrid to be on par with hybrid offerings from Toyota.
The CRZ is powered by a 1.8 liter engine taken from the Civic. The engine is rated at 140hp, significantly higher than the Insight's 98 hp. The hybrid components will be nearly identical to that of the Insight to keep costs down and provide a working power train in a short amount of time.

The sporty nature of the CRZ comes from its light mass and relatively powerful engine. The CRZ will weigh in around 2,800 pounds. The Civic engine is a high revving mill and the electronic motors will provide ample low end torque. Combined with an optional manual transmission, a rarity in hybrids, and you have all the necessities for a sports car.
The pictures tell the story as the CRZ does not look like your typical hybrid. Its coupe body style and wedgy design make it stand out among hybrids. The name CRZ is derived from Honda's long gone and much loved 2 door coupe the CRX. Honda is hoping consumers will feel the same way about the styling and sporty nature and buy the CRZ not because it's a hybrid, but because the car is fun to drive and attractive to look at.

Source (orig. motortrend);
http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1020261_hondas-ace-in-the-hole-the-2011-honda-crz-hybrid

Honda Cars : Honda CRZ Type R in the works? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Auto blogs have been buzzing over recently released photos of the Mugen-tuned Honda Insight. Some people love the massively winged, zero-lift hybrid, but most people (well, most Americans) can’t quite wrap their heads around the fact that someone would even want to tune a hybrid. If you are one of these people, you’d better strap on a helmet ‘cause we’re about to blow your mind.

It’s no secret that Honda is planning to follow its new Insight up with a production version of the CRX-like CR-Z two-seat hybrid. But thanks to a very well informed source, we’ve got a few new, never-before-released details about the car.

First, the production version of the CR-Z will make its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this November and go on sale in Japan in December.

Got that helmet ready? ‘Cause here comes the mind-blowing part.

What’s got us both excited and curious is news that Honda is planning to make a CR-Z Type R. You read that correctly: a Type R hybrid.

The only thing we know about the CR-Z Type R is that it is supposed to launch in 2010. Unfortunately, this source can’t give us any details about just what will transform this standard CR-Z into a Type R. Will it be nothing more than a two-seat version of the Mugen Insight, meaning just a car with a functional aero kit and some wheels?

Will Honda take a cue from its Accord Hybrid and use the battery assist as a performance booster – like a battery-powered turbocharger – rather than use the electric motor to make the car as “green” as can be?

Or will Honda answer the tuning crowd’s prayers by ditching the hybrid powertrain completely to shove a K-series motor under the hood? Hybrid K20, perhaps?

We don’t know about you, the possibilities of a CR-Z Type R are getting us very excited. Honda is supposed to make an announcement regarding the Type R at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

Hopefully we’ll see at least a concept CR-Z Type R alongside the standard CR-Z at the show.

Source;

http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=55567

Honda Cars : 2011 Honda CRZ: 21st-Century CRX | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda's CRZ hybrid coupe remains on track as a 2011 model, on sale in late 2010. Honda wants sports-car enthusiasts to buy it not because it's green, but because it's fun. The carmaker considered doing a non-hybrid version of the CRZ, but it desperately wants to be seen as a hybrid supplier on par with Toyota and believes it needs a range of dedicated hybrid-only models to achieve that.


So the CRZ gets a lively 140-horse, 1.8-liter Civic-derived engine. The IMA system -- motor, battery, electronics -- will be like the Insight's, as will the platform, to save cost. A senior engineer says, "It must be fun to drive, must remind you of the original CRX." And a manual gearbox will be offered. "CVT is fine for the market, mostly. But we are Honda! We must have a manual!"

As a two-seater, the CRZ's smaller body mass versus the Insight should make up for the weight of the bigger engine, brakes, and tires. So a 2800-pound total, with lots of electric-assist torque and a revvy gasoline engine, should make it the real deal as a pocket performance coupe.
Honda has trimmed back its sports cars. President Takeo Fukui said the company has canceled the Acura NSX replacement, though engineers say it may simply be deferred. And the rear-drive Acura range has been canceled. Honda is out of Formula 1. So the CRZ must be to Honda in the 2010s what the CRX was to Honda in the 1980s.

The other leg of Honda's small-car hybrid tripod, the Fit hybrid, also is going ahead for a '10 release. To give the Insight a lower overall height than the Fit, for reduced aero drag at highway speeds, the fuel tank was moved from under the front seats in the Fit to under the rear seats in the Insight. Speeds in the EPA test aren't high enough to make aerodynamics a factor, so the Fit hybrid may match the Insight's fuel economy label, and offer more space and versatility, for less money. It will interesting to see how the marketing guys handle that one.


Source;
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2009/112_0904_2011_honda_crz/index.html

Honda Cars : A Honda CR-Z Rendering | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Found this rendering of what the CR-Z may look like from a reader over at Autoblog.com.
Here's the concept version of the car.

So much has been made about the new Honda Insight that it seems like the CR-Z had been forgotten. This car looks like it will be a two-seater like the CR-X was and is said to be designed with the CR-X as a heavy influence.

Source;

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/09/17/rendered-speculation-honda-cr-z-hybrid-coupe/

Honda Cars : Honda's BIG Plans for Hybrid Sales | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

I found a nice article from Business Week online;

by Ian Rowley

TOKYO - With a solid lineup of small cars and superflexible factories that can quickly shift from SUVs to subcompacts, Honda Motor (HMC) has prospered lately. In June the Japanese automaker saw its sales jump by 14% even as its biggest rivals slumped.

But Honda's satisfaction with its results is tempered by the knowledge that they might have been far better if the carmaker had gotten its hybrid strategy right. While the company was the first major automaker to offer a hybrid in the U.S.—the Insight, introduced in 1999—Honda's efforts have long been overshadowed by Toyota Motor's (TM) success with the Prius. Honda misread what customers wanted, acknowledges research and development chief Masaaki Kato. As a result, the company has sold just 277,000 hybrids to date, compared with Toyota's 1.5 million. Honda stopped making the two-seat Insight in 2006 and last year ditched an unpopular Accord hybrid. Today, the company sells only one hybrid model: a version of the Civic compact. "I must admit that Toyota was better with its strategy of focusing on the Prius and trying to build an environment-friendly image," he says.

Now, Honda is fighting back. By early next decade, it aims to sell 500,000 hybrids annually, up from just 55,000 in 2007. Next year it expects to offer a new compact in the U.S., Japan, and Europe that, like the Prius, will be sold only as a hybrid. Honda has high hopes for the car, and wants to sell 200,000 units a year eventually. In 2010, Honda will launch a hybrid sportster based on a sleek concept car called the CR-Z that it unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. That same year, Honda will likely release a new hybrid Civic, and it's planning to market a hybrid version of the Fit subcompact soon thereafter.

As sales pick up and Honda gets better at making hybrids, the company expects to reduce costs sharply. R&D boss Kato says he can bring the price differential between a hybrid and an equivalent gasoline-only car below $2,000. While not as powerful as Toyota's hybrid technology, the Honda system is lighter and less complex, so its new models may offer better gas mileage. Honda hasn't disclosed pricing, but the compact hybrid due next year could retail for around $18,000-$3,000 less than a Prius, reckons Tatsuo Yoshida, an analyst at UBS (UBS) in Tokyo. He adds that while selling 500,000 hybrids a year will be a challenge, the new cars could also help Honda steal some of the green limelight back from Toyota. "Publicity-wise, the new hybrids are very good news for Honda," he says.

For the rest of the article, follow the this link;
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_30/b4093062857546.htm?chan=autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories

Honda Cars : Honda's New Hybrid to be Shown this September at the 2008 Paris Motor Show | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

It's been no secret that Honda has plans of building a new Hybrid vehicle from scratch, so this won't be based on anything that is out there right now (although I could see it using the FIT's platform). This vehicle will be smaller than both the Civic and the Prius and will use a updated version of the IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) that kicks in and out to help acceleration.

Honda is targeting a lower price point for this model, to come in well below the current Prius and the Civic Hybrid.

Honda Cars : New Hybrid Announced for Honda | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda will launch a long-awaited, hybrid-only model in 2009. Honda plans on producing 200,000 of the new hybrids per year from the company's Suzuka plant in western Japan and will sell them initially in North America, Europe and Japan. They'll be equipped with a new lightweight motor which will assist the gasoline engine and be offered at a "more affordable price level" than currently available hybrids such as Honda's own Civic and Toyota's Prius.

That's just the beginning. Fukui also said that Honda is planning to launch its first-ever hybrid sports car, based on the CR-Z concept car that Honda first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. "The real full-scale hybrid competition will start from now," Fukui told reporters. He added that by 2010 around 10% of Honda's sales would come from hybrids

Further into the future, the company continues to look to fuel cell technology. Next summer the company will also begin leasing a small number of it's FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in Southern California. For $600 a month, customers will be able to drive the emission-free vehicle, which has a range of 270 miles.

Here's a link to the full article;

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2007/gb20071219_577749.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives

Honda Cars : Honda's CR-Z Concept | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This could be what some speculate the new CRX.

The Honda CR-Z is a lightweight, two-seater sportscar equipped with Honda’s petrol-electric hybrid IMA powertrain. Honda is looking at a way to create a lightweight sportscar that is fun to drive, but also good to the environment.

The CR-Z features the latest Honda hybrid IMA powertrain to deliver low emissions and impressive economy.

CRZ stands for Compact Renaissance - Zero.