SYDNEY: Honda has announced that it will launch the new version of next generation CR-Z on the Civic platform instead of Jazz layout and the car would be on roads in two years.
onda CR-Z is still available in United States market, but we won’t be too surprised if the US-spec version will also be terminated later this year since sales are not good.
The juicy part is it is tipped to come with the company’s new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It will probably be detuned to some degree though, but even still, the Type R engine already unleashes 228kW. Even at 200kW the CR-Z would be a hoot to drive.
he hybrid approach may not be entirely written off, however, with the report adding that Japanese buyers will get a 150kW 1.5 litre petrol-electric unit instead.
It’s understood the turbocharged engine could be made for international specification models, while the Japanese Domestic version might retain a hybrid system. There’s speak of some changes there too, including an eight-speed auto replacing the boring CVT setup, as well as a combined output of around 150kW, making it similar to the Mugen CR-Z special edition from 2012.
No official details have been released yet so we shouldn’t get too excited. Honda is slated to introduce the all-new model nonetheless, some time in the next two years. It will be a nice addition to the Civic Type R and NSX, helping to reignite some of the sportiness that Honda has lost over the years.
