CR-Z Sales Running Well Ahead of Expectations in Japan
By John O'Dell March 12, 2010
Honda's new CR-Z hybrid, a two-seater that's made some U.S. auto critics and Honda fans unhappy because of its unimpressive fuel economy and horsepower ratings, is exceeding expectations in Japan, the automaker says.
Dealers in Japan have turned in 2,500 orders for the 2011 CR-Z since sales began Feb. 26 - more than twice the company's stated sales goal of 1,000 a month.
Additionally, Honda had received 4,500 advance orders for the gas-electric hybrid, bringing total orders in Japan less than two weeks after sales launched to 7,000 - or almost 60 percent of the total annual target there.
The company's dealers are telling prospective CR-Z buyers that they will have to wait 3 months for delivery if the order one of the cars now.
The new hybrid mates Honda's Integrated Motor Assist electric drive system with a 1.5-liter gas engine for total output of 122 horsepower, which many critics consider low for a model advertised as a "sporty" hybrid.
Fuel economy in the U.S. is rated at 36 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg on the highway in the model with the CVT transmission (31/37 in the sportier 6-speed manual transmission model).
That compares to a rating of 40 city/43 highway for the five-seat Honda insight hybrid and 51 city/48 highway for the Toyota Prius.
Sales in the U.S. are expected to begin this summer, and Honda has set a full-year sales goal of 15,000, or 1,250 a month, for North America - mainly in the U.S.
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For which market is the 4,500 advance orders? US sales target I believe is 15K so must be for another market.
lucien-Sorry that wasn't clear: Story's about Japanese orders and advance sales and the 4,500 were advance orders taken by Honda in Japan before the car went on sale there through dealerships.
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