Honda Has Finally Decided To Put The CR-Z Out Of Its Misery

Of all the brand new cars we can think of that were introduced over the last decade or so, few are as bewildering as the Honda CR-Z. Here was a model that came about just before the tipping point in the mainstream uptake of hybrid drive, promising to be the environmental-friendly alternative for eco-conscious driving enthusiasts. It all sounded too good to be true. Unsurprisingly, it was. That's why we weren't shocked to learn that Honda is officially pulling the plug on its little hybrid that couldn't.

The CR-Z has been on the slow march to death since its launch. Honda only managed to average around 6,000 sales per year in the US since the car's launch. The hybrid hatchback was phased out in Europe three years agoand is on its way out in Japanas well. We could discuss the reasons why the hybrid failed for days on end. We won't do that, but here are a few things that did it in: niche appeal, fuel economy figures that failed to impress, pricing on par with a Ford Fiesta ST even though the CR-Z was scarcely any more practical than a Honda Fit, and so on. While the hatch is very deserving of being discontinued it's still a bummer that it's happening. The CR-Z was one of the most intriguing cars in recent memory.