Award Number :10B07020 Award-winning item : Hybrid vehicle [CR-Z] Company : Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Producer : Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Director : Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Automobile R&D Center, Operating Officer General Manager Styling Design Development Division Motoaki Minowa Designer : Automobile R&D Center, Department 1 Styling Design Development Division Chief Designer Takashi Nagura, Department 1 Styling Design Development Division Assistant Chief Designer Takafumi Ozaki

The CR-Z was developed to have three values that would expand the possibilities of a hybrid vehicle: "Emotional" (emotional look and feel), "Exciting" (make people want to enjoy driving) and "Smart" (environmentally responsible, useful and liberating). Honda utilized its advanced technologies to achieve these three values in all aspects, including design, package and performance. Combining a 1.5l i-VTEC engine with Honda's original IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid system, Honda has created this new value hybrid vehicle, which features an advanced lively design with agile and refreshing driving and excellent fuel economy of 25.0 km/l.

The Insight, which was chosen as a Grand Award candidate two years ago, has come back on the market as a splendidly complete coupe. It's a sporty car with a hybrid system that has taken the fundamental feature of any car, "driving," to a new dimension. Viewed in terms of its sensitive ride quality, I am reminded of the "driving features" of an electromotive drive. Furthermore, the six-speed manual transmission of its three-mode drive system makes driving many times more enjoyable, and Honda has developed new possibilities for sports car driving for a wide variety of users. It is beautifully designed, from its aerodynamically-inspired roof and front to the flow of the sides and quarter panels, a splendid overall package. It also provides a generous amount of luggage space, so it's just fine for leisure driving, too. It practically invites you to take a little trip somewhere. Its design, arising from considerations of optimal driving, calls forth a new concept: "eco sports." Soon the CR-Z will be the touchstone for rethinking what it means for a car to be attractive. That's the kind of impact the CR-Z has had. In an era when many people are choosing not to have a car, the appearance of the CR-Z on the market may make a difference.

Go to Good Deisgn Finder