It was the world’s first sporty hybrid and Honda have given their impressive CR-Z a revamp.
Honda’s CR-Z
Though whether the extra power and sporty boost system is quite worth the £1,830 premium over the outgoing model remains to be seen.
The hybrid unit has moved from using nickel batteries to the lighter lithium-ion option and the electric motor has been upgraded to 20bhp.
The CR-Z still uses a 1.5litre engine as its powertrain.
The ECU management system has also been tweaked to give 119bhp and the car’s 0-62mph time has dropped from 10.1 to 9.5 seconds.(Though that’s using the GT variant which also has a higher spec).
Honda engineers have also installed a little gizmo which most drivers will not prevent themselves from using. On the steering wheel there’s a ‘Sport Plus’ button which, when pressed, unlocks an extra boost for 10 seconds of increased acceleration. Mind you, the battery has to be sufficiently charged for this to work.
And because Honda have stuck the word ‘Sport’ onto the vehicle, don’t go thinking that it’s a hot hatch of any description. Because it isn’t.
There are also some minor tweaks to the exterior design.
Honda says the CR-Z Sport will return 56.5mpg and produce 116g/km.
Prices start at £20,550.