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"  Honda&amp;#039;s CRX, the wedgy, two-seat, extraordinarily-entertaining sports hatchback, left us in 1992. Its replacement was a far less practical targa roof model called the Del Sol that didn&amp;#039;t sell very well and ultimately killed the model. Finally, Honda has a proper CRX replacement, the upcoming 2011 CR-Z. Like the first CRX, it&amp;#039;s a two-seat hatchback, but it dramatically departs from the original formula. When it goes on sale later this summer, the CR-Z will be available as only a gas-electric hybrid, with a powertrain that employs Honda&amp;#039;s Integrated Motor Assist architecture. This elegantly simple arrangement sandwiches an electric motor between the engine and transmission. The gas engine is a 1.5-liter 16-valve four-cylinder that&amp;#039;s nearly identical to the one in the Honda Fit. It uses Honda&amp;#039;s VTEC valvetrain system to juggle the valve operation for maximum efficiency. A 13 hp electric motor kicks in to boost low-end acceleration and also provides the start-stop feature. Combined, the two motors produce a maximum of 122 horsepower. Routing the power to the front wheels is an optional CVT gearbox with paddle shifters or a standard six-speed manual. And (we hope), the manual gearbox--a feature not seen in a hybrid since the first generation Civic Hybrid--means the CR-Z should have the same playful friskiness as the original CRX.  Its stubby size, 160.6 inches long, and 2700-pound curb weight suggest an agile car. To improve weight distribution, the NiMH battery pack is mounted under the rear cargo floor. Seventeen-inch wheels are optional, 16-inches is standard. Sporty driving dynamics and miserly fuel use are the CR-Z&amp;#039;s main selling points. We&amp;#039;ll have to drive it to confirm the former, but with only 122 horsepower, it better be good in the curves. As for economy, the CR-Z will offer three driving modes, Sport, Normal and ECON that tailor the throttle response and hybrid operation to suit driver preferences. The CVT is the way to go to save fuel. With it, Honda estimates 36 mph city and 38 mph highway. The manual drops to 31 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. That sounds pretty good until you consider that Honda once sold an HF version of the CRX that got 50 mpg on the highway and, of course, it didn&amp;#039;t have an electric motor. But then again, that HF was also devoid of automatic climate control, stability control, HID headlamps, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and a kicking stereo. All of those features are either standard or available on the CR-Z. However, a Honda Insight will deliver north of 40 mpg in both city and highway. So we&amp;#039;re wondering why a lighter, theoretically more aerodynamic car gets worse mileage? As for price, expect a well-equipped model to touch 20 grand. If the CR-Z backs up its striking appearance with the charismatic dynamics of the CRX, Honda could have a minor hit on its hands.      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a5357/4342149/>