Two cars, two different approaches on the same topic. But which one is better? To answer this question, British magazine Auto Express took both sports cars and tested them to see which one comes on top in typical everyday use.
If you read between the lines - or in this case, the tester's words, the RCZ is a better car picking up the title in fuel economy, performance, interior styling and quality, as well as exterior looks. But -there's always a but, isn't there?- the entry-level RCZ Diesel costs £5,251 [about US$7,900 or €6,500] more than the basic CR-Z, which ultimately makes the comparison unjust.
Video and some quick facts we gathered on both cars after the jump.
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The CR-Z is offered exclusively with a mild-hybrid drivetrain comprising of a 102HP 1.5-liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine and a 20HP electric motor that deliver a combined output of 122HP and 128 lb-ft. of torque at 1,000 to 1,500 rpm with the standard six-speed manual gearbox and 123 lb-ft with the optional CVT that costs $650 and includes steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
"Jason Barlow, former Top Gear presenter [that's the attention grabber...], takes the new Honda CR-Z on a journey of discovery through Japan," Honda Europe notes in the video release. Watch the film and tell us what you think about it after the jump.
But just so you can get an idea, the "Live Every Litre" is supposed to be a documentary-style road movie in which numerous members of the public have been nominated by the project's online community to realize their dream in the new Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe.
In this case, Agent Lynch, aka Kate Rawlinson (originally from Newcastle), wanted to perform the world's first guerrilla burlesque routine in the streets of Monmartre in Paris.
The film was produced by Gaucho Productions, a London-based film and digital agency. Directed by Ben Hume-Paton and produced by Kwok Yau, the clip was shot over a day and two nights in southern Spain. You can watch it after the jump.
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With debuts in the US and Europe in the next few months, the Japanese auto maker seems to have few obstacles between it and its goal of 40,000 to 50,000 units per year.
It's not difficult to make the connection between Toyota's technical hiccup and Honda's boost in hybrid sales. People lost trust in their favorite brand, and now they fell back on the next best, comparable, recognizable thing.
Here's what else is standard fare: all the other bits everyone else is making, but with HKS stamped (or stuck) on them. What's a brother have to do to get a little engine work around here?
The tuner said in its blog that it is currently working on a new sport suspension kit that will lower the coupe's ride height as well as on a high-performance brake system from Nisin and a new sport exhaust system.
Just a recap: according to Honda, this the CR-Z will be the world's first hybrid vehicle with a 6-speed manual transmission, and it's also the manufacturer's first vehicle to feature a three-mode system which allows the drive to choose among Sport, Normal, or Econ settings.
However, there's still hope as Honda's official tuning arm has made it clear that it is still considering the development of a high-performance version of the CR-Z in the likes of the MUGEN Civic Type Rs, but until we see the car in the flesh, you'll have to do with the firm's new range of go-fast bits.
The only other difference concerns the standard daytime running lights (DTRLs) with eight LEDs that bring out the lower line of the headlights and are exclusive to the European model.
In this first official film, the CR-Z's project leader, Norio Tomobe, and one of its chief engineers, Terukazu Torikai, provide an insight into the development process behind the new model focusing primarily on the car's handling qualities.
"During the development if the CR-Z we drove many cars and also bought several models for comparison and benchmarking including the MINI, the VW Scirocco coupe and also a Lotus Elise. The target of this car was to realize enhanced handling." says Terukazu Torikai.
Then again, with a mere 122-horsepower from its 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powerplant, the CR-Z had better handle well...
The strictly two-seater CR-Z also retains the concept model's lightly futuristic interior boasting a multi-layer dashboard and three-dimensional instruments with a blue color scheme.
The coupe also gets a mid-ship console behind the front seats to optimize cargo space while a hard-shell separator can be closed to create additional hidden storage.
At the heart of the coupe is a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine with Honda's compact and lightweight Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system.
The CR-Z's 10kW electric motor assists in acceleration and also acts as a generator during braking or coasting to capture kinetic energy that recharges the 100-volt IMA nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The gasoline engine can automatically turn off during vehicle stops to further improve efficiency.
The hybrid system delivers a combined peak output of 122 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb-ft. of torque at 1,000 to 1,500 rpm with the standard six-speed manual gearbox and 123 lb-ft when combined with the optional CVT.
The CR-Z also gets a three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between individual modes of performance for Sport, Normal and Economy driving styles. The system, which affects the settings for steering, engine response, motor assist and air conditioning, is activated through three backlit buttons to the left of the steering wheel.
While Honda did not announce performance figures for the U.S.-spec model, a leaked brochure of the JDM CR-Z makes word of a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of 9.7 seconds, which if true, isn't exactly what you'd expect from a car that's the spiritual successor of the CR-X.
What the Japanese automaker did reveal are the preliminary fuel economy estimates. Honda anticipates that the CR-Z will achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 36 city/38 highway mpg for the CVT-equipped models and 31 city/37 highway mpg (7.6 lt and 6.4 lt/100km respectively) for the manual cars.
Again, nothing to be excited about. For example, the latest Toyota Prius that is powered by a 134HP hybrid powerplant and can sprint from 0 to 60mph in 9.8 seconds returns 51mpg city and 48mpg highway. Heck, even the BMW 335d sedan with its mighty 260HP diesel achieves 36mpg on the highway.
When the CR-Z arrives at Honda's U.S. dealers later this summer, it will be offered in two trim levels, base and EX.
Standard features on the base model include Vehicle Stability Assist, an audio system with six speakers, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, remote entry and cruise control.
The CR-Z EX will add High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlights with Auto-On/Off, fog lights, a 360-Watt premium audio system with seven speakers including subwoofer and Bluetooth, and perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel.
