America’s first sport hybrid is getting both sportier and more fuel efficient for the 2013 model year, thanks to new lithium-ion battery technology in the Honda CR-Z.
The revised battery pack can now deliver some 15 kW of power—a jump of 50 percent over the previous unit—and boosts the total system output in the car to 130 hp and 140 lb.-ft. of torque with its six-speed manual transmission (or 127 lb.-ft. in the CVT-equipped model). In addition, a new “Plus Sport” model has been integrated into the CR-Z’s drive system to deliver a short-term burst of additional power at the press of a button—as long as the car’s battery is at least 50 percent charged. But at the same time engineers were making the CR-Z more athletic, they also ensured it would be less thirsty, too. Thus, the changes to the car’s batteries also deliver an extra mpg on the highway when the CR-Z is configured with the DIY gearbox, lifting its EPA line to 31 mpg city/38 mpg highway/34 mpg combined. An additional 1 mpg in the city has been squeezed out of the CVT version, resulting in EPA marks of 36/39/37.
Courtesy of Honda in the News
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