SHANE O'DONOGHUEtakes a peek at the Honda's new hybrid and electric offerings
HYBRID AND electric car technology is likely to dominate proceedings at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show and kicking off the pre-show unveils is a trio of concept cars from Honda, all boasting advanced powertrains.
The sporty CR-Z concept coupé (pictured above) is virtually ready for the showroom, with its highly distinctive and attractive shape, harking back to the much-loved Honda CR-X two-seater.
What’s under the skin will be of more interest though, as the CR-Z will be the world’s first hybrid car featuring a six-speed manual gearbox, aiming to appeal to driving enthusiasts as much as to the environmentally conscious. A production version will hit some markets as early as summer of 2010.
Illustrating Honda’s plans to further roll out hybrid technology will be a six-seat MPV concept called the Skydeck (pictured bottom). This model is not thought to represent a new production car, though it does feature a novel layout, where the hybrid powertrain components are mounted in the space usually occupied by the “transmission tunnel”.
The third debutante will be an all-electric city car concept called the EV-N, similar in size to the Toyota iQ. Like that car, the EV-N ostensibly seats four occupants, though power comes from a lithium-ion battery pack, which takes up less space than a conventional engine. Despite a design inspired by the company’s N360 from the 1960s, Honda states that it has no plans to bring this car to production.
Full details will be released at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 21st.