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It's no secret that we were stoked to see Honda re-entering the dedicated hybrid game with the announcement that they would soon be entering production with their CR-Z concept. What's cool is that Honda has seen fit to allow you to show your enthusiasm too. Click here to go straight to Honda's survey regarding the new hybrid hatch. If you want to brush up on your knowledge about the CR-Z, click here for some of our coverage, then go here for Honda's CR-Z minisite.

While the upcoming Honda "global-hybrid" is the likely sales leader and Prius-fighter, we like that Honda is reviving the concept of the fun-to-drive CRX as an environmentally-friendly sporty car which should go a long way towards showing people that driving green can also be driving fun.

[Source: Honda, thanks for the tip, kt]

Honda unveiled what is expected to be their next-generation hybrid vehicle in October at the Tokyo Motor Show in the shape of the CR-Z coupe. The CR-Z is a twenty-first century successor to the old Civic base CR-X coupe now powered by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system. The CR-Z will make its North American debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month. The CR-Z is expected to go into production as soon as 2009.

[Source: Honda]

Hybrid car shoppers will have more choices than ever before in 2009 when Honda releases their new Prius fighter and the CR-Z hybrid sports car. Toyota has also publicly said that their next-generation Prius will go on sale in '09. Honda hopes to sell 100,000 of their dedicated hybrid family sedan in North America, and hopes to double that number when worldwide sales are tallied. Details remain sketchy, but as we've reported before, the CR-Z model is separate from their hybrid family sedan. They hope to price the sedan between the Fit and the Civic Hybrid.

The CR-Z is intended to be a sporty hybrid, and the weight of the battery is a big concern. Honda COO Takanobu Ito was interviewed at the Tokyo Motor Show and declined to comment on whether Honda plans on a lithium ion battery for their new hybrid models, but that would make a big dent in the weight problem.

Related:

• It's not just the FCX; the CR-Z is entering production soon as well

[Source: Auto News (sub. req'd)]

When Honda unveiled the sweet-looking CR-Z hybrid earlier this month, the general response was "gimme, gimme, gimme." Now, along with the announcement that the FCX will go into production soon, Honda is seeing the light with the CR-Z: it will enter production and be available for sale (maybe) in 2009. The two-seat CR-Z hybrid will not replace the upcoming "global hybrid" (which will be a family car) and will instead join it in the showroom.

The Environment Manager at Honda (UK), John Kingston, says in the press release (after the jump, folks) that, "Hybrids have always been seen as niche products, and hybrid car design has mostly been based around practicality and versatility. The CR-Z Concept looks stunning, and shows that green cars can be sexy and exciting – but also minimise environmental impact. The fact that we will be producing cars like this – and the global hybrid – proves that hybrid cars are becoming key volume products within our range. All of this means that Honda will be selling over 1/4 million hybrids a year by 2009." So, if you joined that "gimme, gimme, gimme" chorus, you'll soon have your chance to pony up.



[Source: Honda]

Just earlier today we brought you a story about Honda's new dedicated hybrid model, which would be a more mainstream attempt than the Insight was. Will that model be Honda's CR-Z concept car which was just revealed in Tokyo? Ostensibly a replacement for the now defunct, but much loved, CRX model, the CR-Z adds a hybrid drivetrain to that car's proven formula. Although the Insight was never intended to be sporty, the size and proportions were there from the start. Of course, wider tires and less extreme aerodynamics would likely reduce the fuel consumption numbers a bit, but if more people were to purchase the vehicle, the overall impact could in fact be better.

Take a look at all of our pictures of the car and start thinking about carving up your daily commute with a sporty hybrid. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?



All live photos ©2007 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Honda via Autoblog]

Is anyone else detecting a distinctly bizarre theme to the vehicles that will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month? I mean, we've got a four-wheeled motorcycle, Yamaha's Tesseract, the R2-D2 co-pilot in Nissan's Pivo 2, and now, hmm, we have the Honda Puyo. Honda is also offering the sweet-looking lightweight gas-electric hybrid called the CR-Z, which you can see after the jump. For now, let's stay focused on the Puyo.

First, it's a fuel cell vehicle. But that's not the first thing you notice, is it? No, it's the never-in-a-million-years-feasible bubble design. "Puyo" is supposed to evoke feelings of comfort. Honda explains that Puyo "is a Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses the sensation of touching the vehicle's soft body. It is meant to convey a warm, friendly impression." I certainly don't think this car wants to hurt me, that's for sure.

Honda's engineer's wanted to create a "Seamless Soft Box," a car without corners, and one that is supposed to give the "feel of an adorable pet." Just what kind of car is this? Does it run better when you pet it? Honda doesn't say much about the fuel cell, except that it's ultra-efficient and small. It had better be; there's not a lot of room for a powerplant in the Puyo. There is also a joystick "for intuitive operation" on the inside. I cannot wait for the video of this car in action.

OK, on to the CR-Z. It's a much more standard design and is meant to embody "Compact Renaissance Zero." Whatever that means. The hybrid engine gets a fuel-economy assist from the vehicle's light weight but the rest of the car has been designed for "powerful performance in a compact form with a futuristic image." I think they nailed it. Check the picture and Honda's press release after the break.

UPDATE: Fixed what was obviously the wrong name in the headline of this post

[Source: Honda]