Honda's all new sports car hybrid has been one of the most anticipated vehicles to come from the Japanese auto maker in years. Ever since the success of their affordable Insight hybrid car, fans of Honda have been asking for more green vehicles. Their prayers have been answered.

The Honda CR-Z coupe is coming to a dealership near you for 2011. A few models have been released for testing and critic review, and all ratings of this sporty little hybrid are coming back solid.

In a recent LA Times review, columnist Susan Carpenter takes a closer look at CR-Z. She states "The CR-Z never lets the driver forget its environmental mission. Each drive mode rings the tachometer in a different hue of neon light, kind of like a mood ring: green for economy, blue for normal and red for sport. When an up- or down-shift would help the car achieve better fuel economy, a light on the 3-D dash display in the manual version let me know. And if I didn't get the message while I was flooring it, the car's Eco Assist feature pointed it out in no uncertain terms."

Starting at $19,200, the CR-Z is the latest gas-electric powertrain from Honda, slightly larger than the one used in the Insight hybrid. The CR-Z has 0.2 liters of additional displacement and twice as many valves on its inline four cylinders.

As a result, its 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine and 10-kilowatt brushless electric motor are slightly less fuel efficient, rating 39 miles per gallon on the highway for the automatic, 37 mpg for a six-speed manual transmission. Honda has introduced the first stick shift on a hybrid vehicle.

Carpenter adds that the look of Honda's 2011 CR-Z offers "Kardashian curves on a Kmart budget."

Want to schedule a test drive of the upcoming CR-Z? Come on down to Scholfield Honda - 7017 East Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67207.


Source:  http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/29/business/la-fi-car-review-20100729-56