Honda Planning Larger Sport Hybrid to Join the CR-Z?

In a bid to try and win some hybrid market share from Toyota and beat back the hybrid gains of Ford, Honda has adopted the stance that dominating the sports hybrid realm is the place to be. The recently released Honda CR-Z — a throwback to the cultish glory days of the beloved CRX — is the first sports hybrid offering from Honda… but it has been met with only mediocre fanfare.

Complaints that it is both underpowered AND doesn’t get as good mileage as it should for such a small hybrid have relegated it to the “meh” list of many industry pundits and green car enthusiasts alike. But, with sales surging in Japan and a higher interest among the public than we all thought possible, it may just be the comeback star Honda was looking for.

And now Motor Trend is reporting on a rumor that Honda is busy prepping a sports hybrid the size of the Accord coupe that will “dwarf the CR-Z in performance.” Add this rumor to the one that Honda is also prepping a revved up Type-R version of the CR-Z and a picture is starting to emerge of where Honda wants to take all of this.

(more…)