2011 Honda CR-Z Priced From $19,200

The base model of Honda's all-new 2011 CR-Z has been priced at $19,200, which doesn't include a $750 destination fee. The sporty hybrid coupe will get a price bump to $20,760 for the EX trim and top out at $23,210 with navigation and a continuously variable automatic transmission.

While more expensive, the CVT increases fuel economy from 31/37 miles per gallon in the city and 35/39 mpg on the highway. There's no doubt that Honda was eager to push the starting price below the $20,000 threshold (and below its own Insight), making the CR-Z the cheapest hybrid available.

2011 Honda CR-Z Price

2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid will go on sale in America from August, starting from just $19,200, with $750 destination charge. That’s a very good price for a sporty coupe, but the fact is that CR-Z is not sporty! It’s got a 1.5-liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine with 125 hp. It’s just a good-looking hybrid car.

The CR-Z can be had with a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. It also has a 3-mode drive system which allows the driver to configure the vehicle’s responsiveness for Sport, Normal or Econ (Economy) driving modes. Driver efficiency tools include Eco Assist and Eco Scoring, which together can help drivers find improvements to efficient driving styles, while also comparing economy achievements to previous trips as well as the life of the vehicle.

The car is comes with two trim levels. The standard CR-Z features an AM/FM/CD/USB audio system with six speakers, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, remote entry, cruise control. While the CR-Z EX also gets a 360-watt AM/FM/CD high-power audio system with seven speakers – including a subwoofer – Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, leather-wrapped steering wheel and more. The CR-Z EX is available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition.

A fully loaded CR-Z EX with navigation costs $23,210.

Is Honda Considering A Hotter Hybrid Sports Coupe?

The 2011 Honda CR-Z hasn’t even hit U.S. showrooms, but rumors are already circulating about the automaker possibly crafting a larger, more powerful hybrid sports coupe.

Honda’s new CR-Z sports hybrid combines a small 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor to put out a total of 118 horsepower -- not too much for a sports car.

A Honda insider told Motor Trend, however, that a larger hybrid sports coupe is planned for the near future with CR-Z-crushing performance. Details of the powertrain are still iffy, but the source says a car was originally conceived to mate a V-6 with a hybrid system. Now, engineers are considering using a more efficient 2.5-liter I-4 instead of the six-banger. The V-6 system is still being considered for use in U.S.-spec minivans and SUVs.

Honda’s planned hybrid sports coupe is reported to be around the same size as the current Accord Coupe, providing seating for four. Although it will vastly outperform the CR-Z, the car will still be very efficient. One Honda engineer hinted that there are driver-selectable settings to aim for either performance of fuel economy.

2011 Honda CR-Z First Drive Test

2011 Honda CR-Z
Honda's once-proud sporting image has taken a beating lately. Its last foray into Formula 1 was a disaster, made even more embarrassing by the fact its former team swept the championship the year after it pulled out -- with Mercedes engines. The on-again, off-again NSX supercar program is now truly dead, along with the iconic S2000, both killed in favor of channeling resources toward good, clean family transport like the Fit, Civic and CR-V. But now an unlikely hybrid sports coupe with a 6-speed manual gearbox -- a world first for a hybrid drivetrain -- is set to inject some passion back into Honda's performance heritage. It's called the CR-Z.

The production CR-Z's exterior is nowhere near as taut and tight as that of the concept Honda revealed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, which sent the blogosphere into a frenzy of anticipation: Was Honda bringing back the CR-X? While the production CR-Z lacks some of the muscularity of the concept, it still looks like nothing else on the road; that large, imposing grille and upslanting headlights start a design motif that finishes with a bold swish for a C-pillar and a sculptured rear deck.

Many readers will remember the wedge-shaped CR-X of the early 80s and see some strategic resemblances. But as project leader Norio Tomobe pointed out at our drive session: "We were not aiming for a modern day CR-X. We wanted to create a totally new type of hybrid sports coupe that would take us into a more discerning and environmentally-conscious 21st century. The fact that's it's a hybrid just adds another intriguing dimension to the sporty mix. If it reminds you of the CR-X then that's purely coincidental."