19 Oct 07
Honda has confirmed that it will be going into production with a small hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z concept currently on show at Tokyo.
Using some Civic parts, and styled to echo the fondly remembered CR-X, the show car is a two-door coupe with an IMA petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. It follows on from the Remix concept shown at last year's Los Angeles Motor Show and the Honda Small Hybrid Sports concept from this year's Geneva Motor Show.
The production version will join Honda's 'global hybrid' family car, due in the showrooms in 2009.
'Hybrids have always been seen as niche products, and hybrid car design has mostly been based around practicality and versatility,' said Honda UK's environment manager, John Kingston. '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 a quarter of a million hybrids a year by 2009.'
Honda has also announced that it will be unveiling a production version of the FCX hydrogen fuel cell car at the Los Angeles show next month.
Check out the rest of our Tokyo Motor Show coverage
