The timing of the hiring (which coincided with the DOE’s decision to delay approximately $336 million in unreleased loan funds to carmaker,) seems to imply that the agency may have been particularly concerned with Fisker.

Since unveiling its Karma at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Fisker has faced several well-documented setbacks, including missed production dates, the potential loss of the DOE loan money, and most recently, an unfortunate manufacturing flaw in the Karma’s A-123 Systems-supplied lithium ion battery pack. In recent months, Fisker has brought in a new CEO, downgraded its 2012 production estimate for the Karma from 12,000 to 4000, and talked publicly about the possibility of moving production of its next vehicle―the recently-unveiled Fisker Atlantic―outside of the United States.

Still, there has been positive news to report for the carmaker. Fisker has delivered about 800 Karmas in its first few months of production (a milestone that took fellow plug-in vehicle startup Tesla roughly a year to complete,) bringing in more than $100 million in much-needed revenue. The company also announced this month that it had successfully raised more than $300 million in private capital in its latest round of financing, bringing its total private investment to close to $1 billion.

The test for Fisker―with or without the DOE loans―has always been whether it can keep enough money coming in to finance production of the Atlantic, which still has no finalized manufacturing site, much less a fully-equipped assembly line. With $400 million in new money on hand, we can hopefully expect to see the carmaker take steps to remedy that in the near future.

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Audi’s experiments with hybrids date back to at least 1989, when it showed off the first of three gas-electric “Duo” concepts. But in recent years, the carmaker has had several false starts when it comes to bringing a hybrid model to the United States. First, it was reported in 2008 that a hybrid Q5 would launch alongside the standard model in the U.S. for 2009, but that plan was soon quashed due to falling fuel prices and the carmaker’s dissatisfaction with nickel-metal hydride battery packs. For a while, it looked like Audi had put hybrids on the back burner in favor of it and parent company Volkswagen’s favorite fuel-saving technology, clean diesel.

Why not offer both? Reportedly, Audi’s clean diesel engines perform equally or better than their gas-electric counterparts in European fuel efficiency tests, making the hybrids a tough sell. In the U.S., Audi will remedy this by offering a 3.0L, 6-cylinder diesel Q5 variant and a 4-cylinder hybrid model―the diesel will be tuned for performance and the hybrid for fuel economy.

The Q5 Hybrid will pair the same 211-horsepower, 2.0L, 4-cylinder engine found in the current base model Q5 with a 54-horsepower electric motor, powered by a 1.3 kWh lithium ion battery pack. Combined, the engine and motor output up to 245 horsepower and 354 pounds-feet of torque, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in just 7 seconds.

Using its parallel hybrid system, the Q5 Hybrid can operate in either electric-only or gas mode, and can accelerate up to 62 mph using its motor alone. For a more sustained electric ride, drivers can expect up to 1.8 miles of electric range when maintaining a steady 37-mph speed.

The Q5 Hybrid gets 34 mpg under the forgiving European test cycle, which would likely point to an American fuel economy rating in the neighborhood of 27 mpg. The standard 4-cylinder 2012 Q5 gets 22 mpg combined under EPA testing, and the forthcoming diesel is expected to be about 10 percent less efficient than its hybrid sibling.

Pricing and an official release date have yet to be announced.

The post Audi Confirms First Hybrid For U.S. Market appeared first on HybridCars.com.

The increase has been particularly rapid of late, as gas prices rise and carmakers introduce an ever-widening array of fuel-saving options ranging from electric vehicles, to hybrids, to clean diesels, to efficient gas cars. Four years ago, when oil prices spiked to unprecedented levels, few major automakers had much to offer customers looking for significant gas savings. With the new CAFE standards in place, carmakers have scrambled to get every last mile out of a gallon of gas, and have been particularly successful in implementing engine technologies like turbocharging and direct injection to provide both more power and better efficiency in some models than their predecessors.

One company that has been particularly successful in this area is Ford. In just the last year Ford has seen the average fuel economy of its cars and trucks jump by nearly 5 mpg, thanks in part to the success of the carmaker’s new EcoBoost truck engine, which increases efficiency 20 percent, while increasing power. Ford has sold more than 100,000 EcoBoost engines in its F-150 trucks in the last twelve months.

In addition to improved drivetrain efficiency, fuel economy is also rising because consumers are choosing smaller vehicles. An increase in the sales of compacts and subcompacts, as well the rise of crossovers to replace SUVs in many garages has been a gradual trend on the list of monthly sales leaders for some time now.

The current high-water mark for CAFE is 54.5 mpg by 2025, a number announced last year by the Obama administration, meaning that carmakers will continue to have to give consumers more and more affordable fuel-efficient options if they want to remain in compliance with the law. So long as fuel prices continue to rise, drivers can probably be expected to embrace those options.

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But according to a recent Associated Press article, many in Japan are so concerned with the predominance of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix that electric vehicles may come to be seen as part of the problem rather than the solution.

The article quotes Ryuichi Kino, a reporter covering environmental issues in Japan, who says that concerns over nuclear safety have grown to potentially leave an indelible mark on the reputation of electric cars in the country. So long as nuclear is the main source of electricity in Japan “the green image of the electric car will get bashed to bits, maybe to the extent it will be irreparable,” said Kino. “I have the feeling it’s quite possible that might happen.”

Real world plug-in vehicle emissions can vary pretty widely depending upon the energy sources used to create the electricity powers them. Still, most experts agree that under nearly every energy mix scenario, driving electric is significantly cleaner than gas-fueled transportation.

Fears over nuclear power stem not from emissions but rather from the potential for another Fukushima-style disaster, which despite leaving a miles-wide area around the plant uninhabitable (perhaps for decades,) could have been even worse. A recent report in The New York Times suggests that at one point during the disaster, the Japanese government secretly considered an evacuation of Tokyo, fearing the potential for a much larger crisis.

Nuclear safety isn’t just a concern in Japan. Polling conducted last year in Europe showed citizens in Britain, France and Germany becoming increasing opposed to nuclear energy. In the United States, where nukes make up less than 20 percent of the energy balance, resistance has grown in several states―particularly California, which is also among the world’s leading epicenters of early electric vehicle deployment.

Plug-in advocates are quick to point out that use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power will grow worldwide in the coming decades, and electric cars will continue to get cleaner and cleaner. Gasoline meanwhile will only get dirtier and riskier, as producers struggle to collect it from increasingly difficult-to-develop reserves.

The post Does the Shadow of Fukushima Threaten Japan's Electric Car Future? appeared first on HybridCars.com.

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average value of a used hybrid at auction jumped 6 percent during the month of February alone. As reported by Autoblog Green, a KBB press release today warned used car sellers of a coming run on used hybrid inventories, predicting a possible 20-percent price increase by year’s end. “Dealers have been aggressively bidding on fuel-efficient vehicles at auction as consumer demand increases,” read the release. “Kelley Blue Book advises dealers to stock up on inventory sooner rather than later, since values likely will increase sharply during the next 30 to 60 days.”

The nationwide average price of a gallon of regular unleaded now stands at $3.87 according to the EIA’s fuel price index website―up 3 percent over last year’s levels. On the west coast, drivers are paying average of almost $4.20 per gallon.

Increased popularity of affordable hybrids has also been reflected in sky-high demand for Toyota’s latest hybrid release, the Prius c. The baby of the Prius family elicited orders exceeding 10 times its planned monthly production target since hitting the market in Japan, and one Toyota dealership in Miami has reportedly been charging a $7,000 markup on the car in response to high demand.

New hybrids on the whole did very well in February, up more than 35 percent over 2011 levels, and by all indications, March’s numbers are likely to again be impressive.

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In an effort to cut through the noise, GM has reportedly been loaning out Volts to select individuals in Southern California through its communications team. According to Green Car Reports, the program has been active for several months, providing nearly 300 short-term loans, which last anywhere from three to seven days. The scheme has been tagged “Cars to People,” and as GM representative Shad Balch told GCR, it helps to bridge the gap between the public’s misconceptions about the Volt and reality. “On any given day, we encounter literally dozens of folks who either have an interest in―or a misunderstanding of―the Volt,” said Balch.

Indeed, an informal sampling of dialogue about the Volt inevitably yields a few poorly-informed statements regarding the Volt’s propensity to leave drivers stranded after its electric range runs out―a blatant mischaracterization that has nevertheless been repeated over and over again in the media. As much work as Chevy has put in to explaining the Volt, the fact remains that it’s a new technology, and the only ironclad way to express to someone how similar the car is to most traditional ICE sedans from a driving standpoint is to put them behind the wheel.

According to Green Car Reports, the program has so far been successful in converting at least one future buyer, a Prius owner who had been on the wait list for the new Prius Plug-in before getting the chance to tool around in a Volt for a few days.

Regardless of its immediate sales impact, public acceptance of electric drive vehicles is going to be a gradual process that includes the visual presence of plug-ins and charging stations in people’s neighborhoods, word of mouth, and―for those who are curious enough to pursue them―test drives. In loaning out the Volt, particularly in an influential early market like Southern California, GM will help to get the good word out about plug-ins that much quicker, which is good for everybody.

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Contents

• More Electric Car Choices
• Prius Times Four
• Diesel Maxes Out
• CNG Goes National
• VW Finally Enters Hybrid Market
• Hybrid As Engine Choice

A year ago, we predicted the hybrid market would resume growth in 2011—after three years of sliding sales. That didn’t pan out. Compared to 2010, last year’s sales of gas-electric vehicles fell by 2.2 percent—so, the slide continued for a fourth year. Yet, the essentially flat sales could be viewed as decent, considering the severe impact of the March 2011 Japanese earthquake on the supply of gas-electric and purely electric vehicles.

As we move into spring 2012, the same things we said last year about hybrid growth are true again. Gas prices are key—and trouble in the Middle East could lead to $5 a gallon gas by summer. Just in time, Toyota (the hybrid stalwart) is rolling out new versions of the Prius—while Volkswagen (the hybrid laggard) is finally putting its first viable gas-electric vehicle on sale. That means an almost certain growth in hybrids in 2012, even if by only a few percentage points.

Most analysts agree that hybrids are entering the mainstream—mostly as an engine choice on an established model, rather than a new hybrid-only nameplate. Offering a hybrid has become the price for admission as automakers try to meet tougher fuel economy standards.

Barring unforeseen catastrophes—2012 appears to be the year of the green car comeback. Here are the major trends for the year.

More Electric Car Choices

Last year was a landmark year for EVs. There were regional launches of the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt. These two plug-in cars were the start of a new era for electrified personal transportation. But two models—selling a combined 19,000 units—is a fraction of one percent of new car sales. That’s a drop in the bucket, especially compared to the amount of buzz and online chatter these two cars created.

The story starts to change in 2012, when these two plug-in cars will be joined by approximately 10 more models that use household electricity for automotive fuel. The list includes Ford Focus Electric, Coda Electric Sedan, Fisker Karma, Honda Fit EV, Mitsubishi i, Toyota RAV4 EV, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and the Tesla Model S. The key question is if the market needs so many electric choices—especially considering the slow start for Volt and LEAF sales in 2012.

Prius Times Four

In the world of hybrids, Prius remains the powerhouse brand. Toyota fully understands this. It also recognizes that only so many of its customers want a five-seat hatch. So the company decided to spread the love to multiple models targeted to different types of buyers. For years, Toyota—in its usual methodical style—has been researching, hinting, and unveiling what a family of Prii might look like.

In 2012, the project becomes fully realized. It started with the Prius wagon—dubbed V for Versatility—in late 2011. That model is joined by a plug-in version, of which Toyota aims to sell 15,000 units in the first year. By mid-year, the fourth model arrives in a downsized subcompact logically called the C for compact—which at $19,000 and 53 MPG in the city will short-circuit the calculators of hybrid critics who have long asserted that gas-electric cars aren’t worth it.

Diesel Maxes Out

The VW Jetta TDI continues to dominate the clean diesel market, but the number of diesel choices has plateaued at about a dozen models.

There was a time about four or five years ago that hybrid fans and diesel zealots hotly debated which, between the two, would become more popular. Diesel advocates argued that cleaner oil-burners deserved the designation as green, and besides the great torque and durability of its engines trumped slowpoke geeky hybrids any day of the week. Those debates are done. Despite some uptake in clean diesel sales over the past few years, we’re not seeing any new models hit the market.

The choice for clean diesel buyers has been stuck at about a dozen for the past few years, with no signs of change. All the buzz has moved to electrification—with both diesel and hybrid taking a backseat to plug-in models as the media darling (or the subject of derision by EV-haters). While diesel sales broke past 100,000 units in 2011—compared to 275,000 hybrids—that number is likely to move sideways in 2012.

CNG Goes National

For the past dozen or so years, the version of the Honda Civic that runs on compressed natural gas racked up awards as the greenest car in America. Yet, Honda doled out the Honda Civic CNG (formerly the Honda Civic GX) in small doses—only in a handful of states. The model also was a stripped down version lacking the creature comforts and amenities common to most new cars. But in 2012, Honda stretches its CNG distribution—expanding availability of the redesigned 2012 Civic GX to 38 US states.

The new Civic CNG starts at $26,115, and is now offered with more bells and whistles, such as a navigation system and premium stereo package. At the same time, fuel economy jumps by about 20 percent to 34 mpg in the city and 38 mpg highway—for a combined rating of 31 mpg. Is this a game-changer? Not really, because consumers are slow to adopt the unfamiliar gaseous fuel. Also, the Civic CNG is tuned for efficiency rather than performance. (It’s a dog of a drive.) Nonetheless, it’s one more alternative for those looking to drive solo in the carpool lane in California, and those willing to overlook the serious environmental consequences of natural gas fracking. If gas prices continue to climb, Honda could quickly sell the few thousand Civic CNGs it produces in 2012.

VW Finally Enters Hybrid Market

Volkswagen will go down in automotive history as the last major carmaker to offer a hybrid. We’re not counting the limited-run ill-conceived $61,000 VW Touareg Hybrid, or the ultra-cool concept electrics it likes to unveil at major auto shows—but a true high-mpg relatively affordable gas-electric car. Maybe the wait will prove worth it.

Late last year, Volkswagen finally confirmed that by the end of 2012 it will be offer a Jetta Hybrid, to be rated at 45 mpg combined city/highway, with zero-to-sixty performance below nine seconds and all-electric capabilities to around 40 mph. We’re still in wait-and-see mode regarding the driving dynamics of the production version, and an exact price. Nonetheless, the Jetta Hybrid looks very promising—maybe even convincing enough to win over VW diesel fans to batteries and electric motors. Sales will only trickle out late in the year, but it paves the way for an even more interesting 2013.

Hybrid As Engine Choice

Perhaps the biggest news about hybrids in 2012 is that hybrids are not big news. In other words, there was a time when automakers rolled out a hybrid as if it was novel. Hybrids had to stand out with unique designs and unique nameplates. Now, after a dozen years on the market, buying a car with a side order of electricity is not a big deal. Consumers can go into a dealership, point to a design that they like—and decide what propulsion system matches their lifestyle and pocketbook: plain-vanilla gasoline internal combustion; turbocharged gas with or without direct injection; high-torque diesel; a gas-electric combo, some of which come with plugs; and pure electric. In this range, hybrids are the proven mainstream high-mpg option, rather than something that’s odd or exotic. That bodes well for the hybrid market, because the barriers (or stigmas) that prevented carmakers from making hybrids, and consumers from driving them, is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

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Nissan will add 1,000 jobs in Smyrna over the next year to staff a second shift on the factory’s truck line to assemble the Infiniti JX and the redesigned Nissan Pathfinder. But more importantly, Nissan will soon employ some 1,300 workers to produce a US-built Nissan LEAF and lithium ion battery packs. LEAF production in Tennessee is set to commence in late 2012, with the first US-built units set to hit dealer lots in early 2013.

According to Nissan, construction of the 1.3-million square-foot lithium ion battery facility, which is located adjacent to the automaker’s vehicle assembly site, is on-schedule and nearing completion. The carmaker has sunk a total of $1.7 billion on the upgrades, which will allow it to produce as many as 150,000 LEAFs and 200,000 total battery packs in the United States annually—giving the LEAF market and employment at the facility plenty of room to grow in the coming years.

Nissan says that the supply flexibility and shipping cost savings—combined with a $1.4 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan—made bringing production of North American LEAFs to United States a smart choice for the company.

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GM has blamed slow sales of late on the controversy surrounding the Volt’s potential to catch fire several weeks after a serious accident if its battery isn’t drained―which has long been a central part of GM’s recommended post-accident safety procedures. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its investigation into the issue last month, choosing not to order a recall the car.

The incident seems to have taken its toll on January Volt sales―which dipped by several hundred at the height of the controversy―but it has become increasing clear that sluggish sales are a problem that predate any battery fire concerns. In its first year on the market, the Volt recorded less than 80 percent of Chevy’s 10,000-unit sales projection, and the company has since abandoned it’s 45,000-unit 2012 goal. For some time, GM blamed slow sales on its inability to meet consumer demand for the car, but the carmaker now says it has roughly 3,600 Volts in inventory.

The Volt’s chief detractor in Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa, released a statement Friday afternoon claiming the imminent demise of the electric vehicle movement. “Even as gas prices continue to climb, President Obama’s attempt to manipulate the free market and force consumers into purchasing electric vehicles like the GM Volt has failed despite the use of taxpayer dollars to prop up production,” said Issa.

The good news for Chevy is that Volt deliveries were up more than 60 percent for February, rising to 1,023 and signaling that battery fire concerns may be at an end.

The post Chevy Will Temporarily Halt Volt Production Due to Sluggish Sales appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Can a hybrid car also be a sporty car? The answer: It depends on what your expectations are when it comes to hybrid fuel efficiency, and how you define sporty as applied to cars.

Enter Honda’s two-seat 2012 CR-Z which carries over unchanged since being introduced last year. Styled with cues including those of Honda’s sporting CR-X of the ‘80s and ‘90s, the CR-Z strives to be both sporty and a hybrid. The result is a middling achievement of each. On the hybrid side, others trump Honda’s semi-electric approach to hybrid technology when it comes to fuel economy, and the CR-Z with an automatic transmission falls in line with 35 mpg city/39 mpg highway and 37 mpg combined. While those numbers are good enough to place the CR-Z seventh on the EPA’s 2012 Hybrid Fuel Economy list, they are a long way from the Toyota Prius’s leading numbers of 51 city and 48 highway. Plus, when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission – manual shifting helps define sporty – the CR-Z drops two notches with a rating of 31/37/34.

And speaking of sporty, notice there’s the letter “y” after sport; we’re not talking sports car here.

If a car’s styling is part of the definition of sporty, then the CR-Z certainly gets high marks. If fast is included in the equation, then a 0 to 60 mph time of 8.5 seconds falls a little short. Perhaps handling is a more important ingredient for a sporty car than speed, and this is where the CR-Z becomes entertaining and the fun factor of driving is evident.

Powertrain

The CR-Z employs the sixth-generation parallel hybrid system that Honda calls Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). It’s a descriptive moniker in that a thin, pancake-type electric motor/generator is “integrated” between the engine and transmission and only “assists” the gasoline engine. In certain instances, the CR-Z engine does cut off fuel and the car operates briefly on electric power only, but the engine’s parts still move. Like other hybrid vehicles, the CR-Z shuts off the engine when the car comes to a stop, and then fires up again when it’s time to go.

The primary power source is a 1.5-liter, four cylinder, 16-valve engine that features Honda’s i-VTEC, a computer controlled variable valve timing and lift system that improves fuel economy and reduces exhaust emissions. The four has a peak output of 113 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 107 pounds-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm.

The 10-kilowatt electric motor adds a maximum peak output of 13 horsepower at 1,500 rpm and 58 pound-feet of torque at 1000 rpm. Combined output of the gas engine and electric motor is 122 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. And no, the combined horsepower rating of 122 and combined torque number of 128 are not typos. Honda states that peak output for the CR-Z’s gas engine and electric motor occur at significantly different rpm ranges. Therefore, combined power ratings represent peak power delivery in real-world operating conditions and take into account the unique rpm when each peak occurs.

Two transmissions are available, a standard six-speed manual – the only hybrid with three pedals – and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Drivers who want a manual experience with the CVT can have it, courtesy of shift paddles on the steering wheel. There are seven fixed speed ratios that mimic a manual shifter, and up or down shifts are executed quite quickly. Of note, like a manual transmission, the CVT will stay in the selected gear, a nice sporty touch.

Completing the IMA system is a 100.8-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack and all of the controls to operate the system. Located beneath the cargo area, the battery pack stores electricity generated during regenerative braking and sends power to the electric motor when it assists the engine.

There are three driver-selected operation modes for the powertrain: Sport, Normal and Econ. The Econ mode is the most fuel efficient. It limits the engine’s power and torque while relying more on battery power, and tones down air conditioning effort resulting in laggard forward progress. Selecting the Sport system quickens throttle input response, adds more electric power and tightens up steering effort. On start up, Normal is the default setting and the car operates, well, normally.

Exterior and Interior

The CR-Z’s styling blends design elements from the aforementioned 1984-1991 CR-X and the current Honda Insight with the 2009 CR-Z Concept. When you look at the CR-Z, you have a strong inkling that the designers had a clear vision of what they wanted out of the starting gate: a help-save-the-planet sporty coupe that has no equals in appearance.

The distinctive wedge shape originates from a low-slung hood to form an aggressive forward stance. An aerodynamic, raked roofline and sharply abrupt rear are reminiscent of the CR-X, but brought up-to-date with modern flowing lines. The truncated rear, called Kammback, is a design shape that reduces air resistance. The tail’s low drag helps improve fuel consumption.

The hatchback shape produces noteworthy interior space for a two-seat coupe. There’s adequate leg and headroom, even for taller occupants, and the driver and passenger are seated in firm, comfortable cloth sports seats. There’s 25.1 cubic feet of space behind the seats – more than twice the volume of an everyday compact car’s trunk, and more than a Lincoln Town Car. Small bins behind the seats can hide items like a cell phone, and a cargo cover keeps larger objects out of sight.

Low slung in stance, a low driving position may not be for everyone. But well-placed pedals and shift lever complement the seat’s positioning. As with other hatchback hybrid vehicles – Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt and Honda Insight – rear-ward view is compromised by large support pillars and the horizontal bar that separates the glass in the rear hatch.

The dash layout and styling are a near copy of the CR-Z Concept vehicle. The gauge cluster has a three-dimensional, electroluminescent central analog tachometer with a digital speed display in the center. When the driving modes are selected, the ring around the digital speedometer changes color: green for Econ, blue for Normal and red for Sport. For fuel-economy minded drivers, a display rewards good behavior with a growing number of green leaves.

All controls are easy-to-reach, and the switchgear feels substantial and operates with a smooth deliberateness. Interior fit and finish is quite good, while the quality of the materials is not too cheap looking, they are not luxurious either.

Model Lineup

The CR-Z is available in three offerings: Base, EX and EX with Navigation. Unlike other automakers, Honda doesn’t offer a long list of options; each model in the lineup has a set suite of features. Priced starting at $19,545, the base CR-Z is moderately equipped with: keyless entry; power windows, doors and outside mirrors; cruise control; tilt/telescopic steering column – often over looked in small cars; and a six-speaker, 160-watt audio system.

With a sticker price of $21,105, the EX, adds: a leather wrapped steering wheel; polished interior accents; a 360-watt audio system with a subwoofer; and Bluetooth technology. The $22,905 EX with Navigation adds Honda’s navigation system with voice recognition and illuminated steering wheel-mounted navigation controls. Both audio systems are PC-savvy, accepting formats like MP3, WMA and iPod.

Honda apparently feels new buyers place little value on the luxuries Boomers desire: the coupe is not available with leather seats, let alone, heated seats or even a sunroof. Buyers can, however, order a 17-inch tire and alloy wheel package in place of the standard 16-inch set up.

For safety, all CR-Z models are equipped with anti-lock disc brakes with brake-force distribution, electronic stability control and a full complement of airbags, including curtain-style bags.

Editor’s Note: This road test of a 2012 CR-Z was previously a stand-alone review we’ve merged into the general review.

Last year, HybridCars.com staffers drove a CVT-equipped Honda CR-Z on a 125-mile loop to see how the sporty hybrid coupe fared. The drive consisted of a broad sampling of road conditions: highways, town streets, and sweeping country roads. At the end of the run the coupe tallied 35.3 miles per gallon – three tenths more mpg than the EPA city rating of 35 mpg in the city, and nearly 4 mpg shy of the 39 highway rating. The conclusion: maybe a little too raucous during in-town driving, but overall what most drivers will experience.

A few weeks later, I checked out a manual shift CR-Z EX with navigation for a week. Logging 379 miles during the seven days, fuel mileage was recorded in three segments: 73 miles of normal running errands and shopping in town; 132 mile drive from Olympia, Wash. to Seattle during morning and late afternoon brake lights and gridlocks; and 174 miles of hey, let’s flog this thing and see just how sporty it is, and oh yeah, how much gas did the little four-banger guzzle.

No one has ever accused me of having a light foot on the go pedal, although I have changed my driving habits the past several years. I just didn’t know how much until I looked at the mpg numbers of the CR-Z that said, “Oh no, you’re becoming a greenie!”

Great MPG, With Some Work

During my drives about town the colored ring around the speedometer was primarily green, but I didn’t need it as a reminder that mode selection was Econ. The word sluggish best defines the forward motion of the CR-Z in this setting, and following the shift-up and shift-down indicator arrows was foreign even to my changed driving habits. Really Honda? Up shift from 1st to 2nd at 15 mph, and from 2nd to 3rd at 18 mph? But, it works; fuel economy averaged 43.3 mpg – 12.3 more than the government’s 31 mpg. Makes one wonder how those EPA folks come up with their numbers. Oh please, don’t tell me I have succumbed to hypermiling.

I saw a lot of truck bumpers on the Interstate drive to Seattle and back. The Econ mode seemed to be the logical choice during the seemingly endless stop, go, stop commuter traffic movement. Unlike the CVT-equipped Zs that automatically shut the engine off when the car is stopped, manual shifters require the transmission be in neutral. Holding the clutch in with the right foot on the brake pedal does not turn off the engine. So, constantly shifting to neutral and then shoving back into gear to restart is a chore. But again, the system works, and with maybe 50 miles out of the 132 total in the Normal mode, the little hatch scored 39.2 mpg. Hmmm, that’s the highway rating given to the more fuel efficient CVT equipped CR-Z. Did the Feds get things backwards?

After five hours that covered 174 miles of driving primarily in Sport mode, the coupe registered 32.7 mpg. That’s a number even a Prius would be envious of with the tachometer close to red line for many of those miles.

Sporty, As In Handling, Not Horsepower

The CR-Z is built on the same platform as the Insight hybrid, but engineers didn’t just copy, cut and paste. The structure is more rigid, the wheelbase is clipped 4.5 inches, overall length is shortened by some 8 inches and the car is considerably wider and lower. Add the suspension from the Insight – McPherson struts and a rear torsion-beam setup – and you have Honda’s formula for a sporty coupe.

Around town the CR-Z has a smooth, fairly well-damped ride and it’s easy-to-drive, easy-to-park and with wide doors, easy-to-get in and out of. I found the highway ride to be firm, controlled and pleasant, not harsh. Bumps and those pesky expansion joints had a negligible impact.

Like all Honda four cylinder VTEC engines, this one brings on power in a linear, effortless manner. Its response to throttle input is prompt, almost brisk, except in the Econ mode, and if it lacks urgency it makes up for it in pluck and willingness. And when pressed – to merge with freeway traffic, for example – it does get noisy. There is a surprise, however, just left of the steering wheel. Select the piano key-like button marked Sport and there’s right-now throttle response. It’s like the Honda suddenly found an additional 50 horsepower.

However, the CR-Z’s sporty personality isn’t derived from horsepower, it’s all about the handling. The attention to vehicle dynamics is surprising. The coupe’s precise and nicely weighted electric rack-and-pinion steering tracks true with good feedback, making abrupt lane changes and sudden, tight curves a delight.

Should you drive slightly over your capabilities, the stability control system and anti-lock brakes respond in quick fashion. Under brisk cornering there is an expected amount of understeer and a moderate dose of body roll. But the Z never felt like the average driver might fight for control.

Unlike some hybrids, the brakes have good pedal feel and are not grabby. The manual transmission offers relatively short throws with clean gates and a comfortable, easily engaged clutch action. Gear ratios are well selected to give the car a suitable launch, first through third gears.

Hybrid puritans will scoff at the CR-Z’s fuel efficiency and driving enthusiasts will pooh-pooh its performance. But kudos to Honda for developing a car that is fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient.

The Car For You?

Hybrid puritans will scoff at the CR-Z’s fuel efficiency and driving enthusiasts will pooh-pooh its performance. But kudos to Honda for developing a car that is fun-to-drive and fuel efficient. The Detroit News’s reviewer put it this way: “There will be some people who just fall in love with the CR-Z. They will look past the things so many see as detriments. They will be those willing to admit they don’t need everything in a single vehicle and use the CR-Z as a tool for getting around in style. They know that not everyone needs a back seat for imaginary friends who will never ride in their car.”

There are other choices for a sporty car that not only offer decent fuel economy, but also have room for two or three actual friends. Ford’s nifty Fiesta SE hatchback with manual transmission and optional SYNC and Sound package lists for $16,265 and serves up 29 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. For $24,235, Volkswagen’s Golf TDI offers German engineered handling while the torquey diesel engine delivers 30 mpg in town and 42 on the highway. Perhaps the closest fun-to-drive two-door competitor is the Mini Cooper. The modest-powered base model starts at $19,500, dispenses 29 city/37 highway fuel mileage and carves canyon roads like nothing in this price range.

The CR-Z isn’t the only hybrid car that has sporty performance characteristics. Lexus began selling its CT 200h last year that has a combined city-highway fuel mileage of 42 mpg. But it’s starting price of $29,120 puts it out of reach for a large number of buyers. The Z’s starting price of $19,345 makes it an every-man’s green car, and for now it’s the only sporty game in town.

Prices are Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at time of publication and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.

This article was updated on Feb. 23, 2012. The first comments below are from original publication prior to the vehicle’s release.

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