Earlier today, Honda Philippines formally announced the arrival of their sports hybrid coupe; the CR-Z. If you think that hybrid electric cars are clunky, boring heap of metal, then get ready to be blown away by the Honda CR-Z.
On the outside, the Honda CR-Z (particularly the Modulo and Mugen models) can easily be mistaken for compact sports car because of its low profile and sexy curves. As such, one might be under the impression that it’ll gulp down on its fuel like it’s nobody’s business.
However, in reality, that’s not the case with this bad boy as it runs on 1.5L i-VTEC SOHC inline-4 engine making the car both fuel-efficient (25km/liter) and powerful. Furthermore, the Japanese maker also incorporated their latest in-house hybrid system called IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) which further increases the car’s fuel-efficiency.
The Honda CR-Z will be available six (6) colors (White Pearl, Crystal Black, Polished Metal, Milano Red, Premium Golden Purple Pearl and Turquoise Blue) and will be offered in three variants; Base, Modulo and Mugen. Prices are as follows:
Standard (Manual Transmission) Php1,390,000
Standard (CVT with Paddle Shifters) Php1,480,000
Modulo (Manual Transmission) Php1,470,000
Modulo (CVT with Paddle Shifters) Php1,560,000
MUGEN (Manual Transmission) Php1,860,000
MUGEN (CVT with Paddle Shifters) Php1,950,000
Last year, YugaTech was invited in Honda PH’s out of town event called “Experience Anew” where we got the chance to test drive some of Honda’s latest cars which includes the CR-Z sports car equipped with MUGEN accessories. Take a look at more photos of the CR-Z below:
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For more information about the new Honda CR-Z, you can check out any of the 28 authorized dealers nationwide. You can also head over to this link to find out some of the features of this exciting new hybrid car.
Tyta86 is toyota
Brz is subaru
Cr-z is honda ….it is honda . Did you get it … ?
This car will fail. Honda should have introduce their small cars instead here in the Philippines. They are more practical and have a better chance of succeeding! Look at mirage.
Parang Jazz lang. Pero ok na din.
pang mayaman na koripot lng toh.. hehehe
Is this 2-seater only or have an option to turn to 4?
grabe angganda nung instrument panel hahaha ang astig tignan lalo na paggabi =))
not for Manila flooded roads
Subaru BRZ FTW!
Saw this one testing at SCTEX earlier this year. A niche product, I’m afraid. For those who want a hybrid but don’t want a Prius. At this price, I’d take the ToyoBaru 86/BRZ or Hyundai’s Genesis/Veloster.
Subaru BRZ FTW!
Alright, here’s the deal with the CR-Z.
Some numbers (taken from TopGearPH and this article):
(for easier comparison, I’ll use its stablemate, the Honda Jazz)
Honda Jazz EX SRP: PhP 899,000
Honda CR-Z SRP (base model): PhP 1,390,000
Honda Jazz mileage: 25km/L (yes, it has the same mileage, probably even better with less weight)
Honda CR-Z mileage: 25km/L
Honda Jazz seating cap: 5 people (4 doors + 1 hatch)
Honda CR-Z seating cap: 4 people (2 doors + 1 hatch, a bit of a squeeze for people in the backseat)
Styling-wise, preference or non-preference for the CR-Z is about as opinionated as it gets.
Performance-wise, the Jazz wouldn’t be able to keep up, but that’s not why you bought a hybrid in the first place now, is it? And the CR-Z will be trumped by true performance-oriented cars like the 200hp RWD ToyoBaru selling for around the same price anyway.
In the Philippine car market, does the CR-Z have a chance to succeed? I highly doubt it.
Only time, aggressive marketing strategies and gullible buyers will tell.