The Honda CR-Z is selling even worse than it used to. And by used to, we mean worse than it did last year, its worst year ever. And by worst year ever, we really do mean worse than the two absolutely terrible previous years.
U.S. CR-Z volume is down 37% through the first two months of 2015, a drop from 585 sales in January and February 2014 to 371 in the same period one year later. Honda sold 739 CR-Zs in the first one-sixth of 2013, 829 in the same period of 2012, and 1985 in the first two months of 2012.
There appears to be hope on the horizon, according to a source of Car & Driver’s. That hope involves murdering off the current Fit-based CR-Z and replacing it with a slightly enlarged CR-Z based on a shortened Civic platform.
No hybrid, many horsepowers, a proper successor to the CRX. Sounds good.
One shouldn’t allow themselves to feel that the CR-Z’s ridiculous flop means sport compacts are a fruitless endeavour in the current new vehicle market. While Hyundai Veloster sales are flaming out, the car went on sale nearly four years ago. Moreover, over the last two months, Hyundai USA sold nearly eight Velosters for every CR-Z.
On a higher performance scale, Subaru USA’s WRX/STi pairing are up 44% to 4790 sales over the last two months. The WRX/STi is outselling the surging Audi A3, an entry-level best seller for America’s most steadily growing luxury brand . Volkswagen Golf GTI sales have more than doubled in this relaunch year to 3757 units through the end of February.
