At the 2010 North American International Auto Show, Honda took the wraps off their new subcompact sports coupe - the CR-Z. Scheduled for launch as a 2011 model, the CR-Z is supposed to channel the legendary Honda CRX from the '80s and early '90s. That car was extremely small, had two seats, and could be ordered in a variety of trim levels, from the fuel-sipping 50+mpg HF to the hot Si, which featured go-kart-like handling and a satisfyingly quick turn of speed.
But the last true CRXs were sold to Americans for 1991. And Honda's changed big-time since then. In 1991, Honda offered only four models: CRX, Civic (in 3-door hatch, sedan, and Wagovan bodies), Prelude, and Accord. None of their cars were sold with more than 4 cylinders under the hood. The heaviest car they made was a shade over 3,100lbs. And their reputation for quality and reliability was unimpeachable.
Today, Honda sells us 9 different models: Fit, Civic, Insight hybrid, Element, CR-V crossover, Accord, Odyssey minivan, Pilot crossover, and Ridgeline pickup. They offer fours, V6s, and hybrid models that have been met with far less success than Toyota's have. Their heaviest vehicle is now 4,640lbs, or 50% more than the heaviest Honda of 20 years ago. And since they ended production of the S2000 roadster last year, the Honda lineup is conspicuously lacking with the performance models that once gave the brand sparkle. And, in the first 2 months of 2010, Honda recalled more than a million cars worldwide for various defects.
Enter the CR-Z. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a CRX redux for the twenty-teens. Short wheelbase? Check. Two-seat cockpit layout? Check. Sloping rear roofline? Check. Characteristic glass on the upper half of the hatch fascia? Check. So it's a modern-day CRX.
But hold on a second. The 2000-06 Honda Insight hybrid checked all of the aforementioned CRX boxes, as well. But no one hailed it as a spiritual successor to Honda's legendary Lilliputian. Why? Because the Insight's emphasis was on its hybrid powertrain, featuring Honda's then-new Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. Its love-it-or-hate-it egg-inspired design was hugely responsible for its awe-inspiring advertized 70 mpg highway mileage figure at launch. And the 2000 Honda Insight got everyone in America talking about hybrids as Toyota was still putting the finishing touches on its first Federalized Prius. What it didn't get people talking about was handling or performance, both of which were lacklustre in the Insight as Honda engineers were tasked with wringing out every last mpg from every inch of its design. Interest started off strong, but sales levels never were stellar. Only 13,889 were sold over 7 model years. By comparison, Toyota sold 334,723 Priuses in the same timeframe.
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