While hybrid vehicles are quickly gaining popularity here in the U.S., European acceptance has been much slower — a trend that Honda plans to address. The Japanese automaker has targeted 500,000 hybrid sales by 2011, and will need support from the European market to attain that goal.
In order to win gain a stronger foothold in the European hybrid market, Honda has announced that it will first launch its upcoming CR-Z in Europe. Moreover, since the car is so important to Honda’s European operations, the automaker’s UK arm has a big say in the car’s final design. The CR-Z’s engineering and R&D are also being completed at Offenbach in Germany.
“Europe is a key market for this model,” Mark Turner, Honda’s UK manager of product planning, told Automotive News Europe. Turner says the CR-Z should sticker for about 25,000 euros when it hits the market, with the up-level model topping out at about 28,000. Look for the CR-Z’s European launch in late 2009 or early 2010.
Turner also revealed that although the CR-Z is initially being designed as a hybrid, a gasoline version will be considered if demand is strong enough.
02/20, 4:49 PM
posted by:
doghis
i’m overwhelmed with excitement…
02/20, 4:51 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
Yikes! At 1.47 Euros per US$, that’s $36K to $41K!!! For a two-seat hybrid, it better have outstanding performance. In the U.S, for that much they should sell it as an Acura.
02/20, 5:14 PM
posted by:
G
What the hell is this thing supposed to be?
There’s absolutely no info on the car except that it’s going to be a hybrid, with much of the work on the car being done in Europe.
For all I know the CR-Z could be a tank…
02/20, 5:56 PM
posted by:
Jordan
g,
the concept was unveiled quite some time ago. lln should have included a link to the article. they didn’t, so i will.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-cr-z-future.html#more-5859
02/20, 6:57 PM
posted by:
odie
global_lightning, did you mean US$1.47 per Euro?
02/20, 8:02 PM
posted by:
corvette
looks like it will be a good car.
02/20, 8:29 PM
posted by:
nestle_s
i hope that it will come to the USA! and the concepts body dimensions are at least kept with the production model! ^_^
02/20, 8:48 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
I think it’s going to be a hit, especially with the 30-35 year olds with a bit of expendable $$$ looking at Subaru hatchbacks and Golf GTis.
02/20, 9:36 PM
posted by:
autonut
CR-V cost just about as much in Europe today. With a diesel (and I haven’t seen them powered otherwise) it is rather a large CUV for European standards. I saw it primarily in high rent districts.
02/23, 12:52 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
CRY is what youdo after you realize you’ve paid near-BMW money for an accord