| Drivetrain |
|---|
| Drive type | Front-wheel Drive |
| Engine type | Naturally aspirated, port-injected, inline-4, gasoline with auto-stop/start |
| Displacement (cc/cu-in) | 1,497cc (91 cu-in) |
| Block/head material | Aluminum/aluminum |
| Valvetrain | SOHC, four valves per cylinder, variable intake-valve timing |
| Compression ratio (x:1) | 10.4 |
| Redline (rpm) | 6,300 |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm) | 122 @ 6,000 (includes electric motor assist of 13 hp @ 1,500 rpm) |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 123 @ 1,000 (includes electric motor assist of 58 lb-ft @ 1,000 rpm) |
| Fuel type | Regular unleaded |
| Transmission type | Continuously variable |
| Transmission and axle ratios (x:1) | Forward: 3.173 - 0.529; Reverse: 5.666 - 2.167; Final: 4.20 |
| Chassis |
|---|
| Suspension, front | Independent MacPherson struts, coil springs, stabilizer bar |
| Suspension, rear | Semi-independent twist beam-axle, coil springs, stabilizer bar |
| Steering type | Electric-assist, rack-and-pinion power steering |
| Steering ratio (x:1) | 12.75 |
| Tire brand | Dunlop |
| Tire model | SP Sport 7000 A/S |
| Tire type | All-season front and rear |
| Tire size, front | P195/55R16 86V |
| Tire size, rear | P195/55R16 86V |
| Wheel size | 16-by-6 inches front and rear |
| Wheel material | Cast aluminum |
| Brakes, front | 10.3-inch ventilated with single-piston sliding calipers |
| Brakes, rear | 10.2-inch solid with single-piston sliding calipers |
| Test Driver Ratings & Comments |
|---|
| Acceleration comments | Sport mode with stability control off proved quickest by almost a second over normal and Econ. But since there's zero wheelspin off the line, ESP on/off wasn't an issue. Sport mode lets the revs get to 6,100 rpm more quickly and then held that rpm for the remainder of the drag strip. Power braking the CVT had almost no effect, and the CR-Z is quite sluggish off the line without revs to help. |
| Braking rating | Average |
| Braking comments | Longish stopping distances considering the CR-Z's weight. But it has good pedal feel and there's only a very minor amount of wiggling during panic stops. Distances got gradually longer from the beginning, then leveled off at about 125 feet. |
| Handling rating | Average |
| Handling comments | Slalom: Excellent steering feel/quickness, but suspension is soft, so there's a lot of body roll, and then it's a bit springy when it rebounds. Left-throttle can cause serious oversteer with ESP off -- more than expected for a car of this nature. Made for some hang-it-out-there moments around the last couple of cones. ESP-on keeps those moments in check, but it's not as much fun. Skid pad: The CR-Z's attitude is very adjustable via throttle corrections. Even with ESP on, it made for quite a ride because when the system would cut the throttle it would cause brief tail-out action; then back on the throttle, then off and more oversteer -- repeat. Kinda fun to be part of but more abrupt than a human, hence, the slower ESP-on time. |
| Safety |
|---|
| Front airbags | Standard |
| Side airbags | Dual front |
| Head airbags | Front |
| Antilock brakes | Four-wheel ABS |
| Electronic brake enhancements | Braking assist, electronic brakeforce distribution |
| Traction control | Traction control |
| Stability control | Stability control |
| Tire-pressure monitoring system | Tire-pressure monitoring |
| NHTSA crash test, driver | 3 stars |
| NHTSA crash test, passenger | 2 stars |
| NHTSA crash test, side front | 3 stars |
| NHTSA crash test, side rear | Not tested |
| NHTSA rollover resistance | 5 stars |
| IIHS offset | Not tested |
