Honda To Pull The Plug On The CR-Z In North America

Honda’s compact hybrid coupe, the CR-Z, has never really caught on and now, more than six years into production, it will get the axe.

Billed as a spiritual successor of the CRX, the CR-Z lacked a direct competitor and tried its luck on a niche segment by attempting to be both agile and fuel-efficient, but it was eventually surpassed by regular compact cars in both chapters.

Honda Performance Development tried its luck in making it more appealing with a supercharger kit that delivered an extra punch, which was limited to version equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. This didn’t do the trick and neither did the cosmetically updated version, introduced last November, with its added features, options and fresh trim grade.

In fact, by looking at the sales figures, it’s easy to understand that the CR-Z could have never become a best-seller, as the automaker delivered 5,249 units in North America in 2010. The number reached a peak one year later, with 11,330 examples, only to drop in 2012 to 4,192. In 2013, 4,550 cars found new homes and in 2014, just 3,500 units were sold. The decline continued last year, when Honda moved 3,073 vehicles and as of May this year, the CR-Z accounted for a paltry 970 units.

In Japan, Honda has already waved goodbye to the CR-Z with the Alpha Final Label Special Edition that launched last month, which added new colors, different wheels, special badges and a few interior upgrades.

H/T to MotorTrend