Source: Rahin Sadman Islam

I was keen on getting the CRZ out for a review. But every planned outing saw huge downpours where my photographers were lost like wet sheep. And I wasn't planning to shoot this time, just drive. So what to do? Just pick a day and go out saving the planet with frugality while looking cool at the same time. At least, that's what the CRZ initially promised.

That glass in the tailgate is a hark back at the original CRX. Photo: Rahin Sadman Islam

The CRZ has the same underpinnings as the Insight and the Fit/Jazz. This is a sporty hybrid. Wait, don't let that 'hybrid' badge turn you away. This car could make you smile every time you drive it. It has a zippy engine coupled with a fuel saving CVT gearbox. It comes equipped with a 1.5 liter engine producing 122 hp and 123 lb/ft of torque. Those are not numbers that necessarily set the streets on fire, but then that's not the outright purpose of the car.
The Honda CRZ is a quirky reinterpretation of an 80's icon – the CRX. That was a boxy car with a stubby backside with zippy performance and a light, nimble handling. The original CRZ combined a car as light as an anorexic fashion model with a small engine with reasonably high power output. So you got frugality and sharp performance: the markers of a fun car. The CRZ borrows heavily on that theme as well as cues in the styling department. See the low nose and a sharply stubby tail? CRX genes.  

In current Honda fashion the interior sports a two tier display with a central tachometer. It's all cool spaceship lights and dials here. I love the way everything looks techy and colorful without being kitschy. Visibility out the rear is good with the help of that glass window in the tailgate.  Where the original had thin pillars creating the impression of a larger interior that it was, the new car has thicker pillars for safety reasons that reduce that 'openness' a little. Some might call it cozy. And cozy it is for rear passengers. Up front you sit snug and low. We spent what felt like days as we navigated through traffic. The car is surprisingly easy to maneuver, although bigger vehicles kept squashing us in, either to have a good look or because it is tiny and shiny.

In most regions this is sold strictly as a two-seater. We get the rear seat option although we're not sure what kind of person would fit in there. The Shift sub-editor was considered a suitable expendable object. We didn't need him that day and he fit, barely. So you can take the car out with a couple of friends in the back. But if it's a long drive, don't expect those friends to remain on your Facebook friend list for long. Fold down those rear seats and you have more cargo space.

Interior is modern, funky, typically Honda. Rear leg-room isn’t enough. Photo: Rahin Sadman Islam

The car has a stop-start function that cuts off the engine when cruising or rolling to a stop in ECO mode. The eco mode suggest you keep the tachometer lights in the green. It changes color as to how you use or abuse it. Press it hard, it starts going blue. Like the world is holding its breath cause you're using up all the petroleum.

But the electric motor isn't your typical hybrid setup. The primary output is always from the engine. The electricity butts in occasionally cause it's not powerful enough to get the car rolling from a stand. Then there's the sport mode. And sport mode is where it's at. As the name suggest, the engine mapping, steering feel and throttle response changes, gear ratios are held longer, steering gets tighter and the car feels quicker.

It is especially aggressive if you use the paddles to shift as you see fit. Most people will forgo the use of the paddles but if you have a set and you don't use it, you're missing out on something fun. I'd still prefer the 6-speed manual available with the CRZ but that's going to be a special order item only.

SPECS

2013 Honda CRZ

Engine: 1.5 liter SOHC LEA 4 cylinder engine (122 hp@6000 RPM, 123 lb-ft torque@2000 RPM)
Electric: DC brushless motor MF6 Model (14 hp@1500 RPM, 58 lb-ft torque@1000 RPM)
Gearbox: CVT automatic gearbox, front wheel drive
Curb weight: 1236 kg as tested
Brakes: Ventilated front disc, solid rear disc brakes.
Wheels: 195/55R16 size wheels.

Price: 35 lakh taka as tested. For details and stock availability, contact DHS Motors Ltd.

VERDICT

This car has a nimble characteristic that you don't get in most other cars. I don't for a single minute wish I was in something faster. With the right roads, this can be a truly fun car. It's not blazingly fast, but it is quick and very agile. And it does all that without burning a hole in your wallet at the pumps. It's easy to see out of and it looks like nothing else on the road. Based on the original CRX, the styling is something that will age very well.
I like small cars. But not if they present themselves as a boring toaster with only one-way functionality like most cars I see every day. I like small cars with character, style and purpose. This small hybrid trumps all that. The CRZ is different and different in a sea of toasters is good.

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