Come next year, Honda will finally have a new sports car in its portfolio and in a sign of the times it will be both compact and a hybrid. The car is the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid sports hatch and many are already calling it the spiritual successor to the original CRX.
A near production ready example was shown recently at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show and now we have our first look at the actual car--and all of its specs--that will go on sale next year thanks to a leaked brochure.
Power will come from a 1.5-liter engine matched to Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) electric motor hybrid technology. Output from the four-cylinder gasoline engine will be rated at 112 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque, while output from the electric motor will be rated at 12 horsepower and 57 pound-feet of torque. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission or optional Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).The end result is a leisurely 0-62 mph time of 9.7 seconds but we’ll have to wait until official details come out to be sure.
Other tidbits revealed include the dimensions, with the new model measuring in at 160.6-inches in length, 68.5-inches in width, 54.9-inches in height and with a wheelbase of 95.9-inches.
The 2011 Honda CR-Z will be introduced to North America for sale in the second half of 2010 and will be packaged as a sporty two-seater hybrid (the concept features a rear seat). Its first showing, however, will be at next year’s Detroit Auto Show in January.
source: motorauthority
