Honda confirms CR-Z for Oz

The demise of the Honda S2000 follows the phasing out of the Integra and NSX leaving the Japanese brand without a sportscar as part of its Australian line-up.

But Sales and Marketing Managing Director, Lindsay Smalley, has confirmed the forthcoming CR-Z Hybrid will change that.

Asked if he was worried about the loss of all the sportscars from its range Smalley revealed the CR-Z will make it to Australia and form a key part of the brand's position as a leader in hybrid cars.

"Some people make comments," Smalley says. "We discuss it internally and with our dealers and the Honda Car Club talk about it.

"But I think Honda's positioning itself for this next generation because we'll be the first onto market with a hybrid sports with the CR-Z that's been announced, and hopefully we'll have that in a couple of years.

"I think that's where Honda's going. So we'll be back with sports but it will be hybrid."

Originally shown as a concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (more here) the CR-Z is a modern take on the cult classic, the CR-X. With production now confirmed it is expected that the car will go on sale in Europe early next year.

There has been speculation the CR-Z will be priced from 25,000 Euros which would put the car at around $50,000 by the time it arrived here; most likely sometime in 2011.

One car we're not likely to see anytime soon is the re-born NSX. As previously reported here, the supercar will be built under Honda's American-focused Acura brand. But they may not matter anyway because the entire project has been put on hold due to the global financial crisis.

"It's paused," Smalley says.

"It was production ready. It's just on hold so they could resurrect it if the market turns.

"I would think we wouldn't be taking it, because of the Acura issue."