"[2] The CR-Z combines a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain with traditional sports car[3] elements, including a 2+2 seating arrangement[4] (excluding North America, where offered as a two seater)[5] and a standard 6-speed manual transmission.

[12] At the show, CEO Fukui stated that a production model is "in the works" and that the car was intended to be "sporty, incredibly efficient and inexpensive".

[15] In January 2010, Honda introduced the production CR-Z at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Automotive News reported in June 2010 that since its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, the CR-Z Web site had had 1 million hits.

The project leader, Norio Tomobe, worked previously as chief engineer on Honda's Mobilio Spike and Elysion.

Chief chassis engineer Terukazu Torikai explained in a video that during the development process “this car was brought to Europe at each prototype stage to be tested under various road conditions to evaluate whether the desired performance had been achieved.”[20] The CR-Z is powered by a 1.5 L (1,497 cc; 91.4 cu in) i-VTEC SOHC 16-valve straight-four engine, designated LEA, with Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system.

If the battery is more than 30 percent charged and the CR-Z is traveling over 18 mph (29 km/h), the driver can press the "S+" button on the steering wheel to deliver increased acceleration for up to five seconds.

[32] As of the end of August 2010, more than 19,000 CR-Z were delivered and sales orders received are three times higher than expected, which led to Japanese media comparing its success with the NSX in the 1990s, another sports car from Honda.

[38] In addition to commercials airing during sporting events, Honda held a marketing competition available to universities throughout the United States.

[42] The CR-Z was launched for the Malaysian market on November 3, 2011, which made it the first in Southeast Asia to offer the three-door hybrid.

[48] The CR-Z was finally launched in December 2011 with a base price of A$34,990 plus on-road costs in two grades: Sport and Luxury.

Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited introduced the CR-Z hybrid coupe to the Pakistani market in December 2013[54] with a price tag of Rs.3,269,000 for the manual transmission and Rs.

Honda had previously confirmed that a second generation of the CR-Z was under development, possibly for the 2018 model year, which never came to fruition.

On June 17, 2016, Honda announced that the CR-Z would be discontinued at the end of the year to make room for the Accord Hybrid and Clarity.

Two Honda Performance Development CR-Z Racers entered the 25-hour of Thunderhill endurance race held on December 4–5, 2010 at Willows, California.

A turbo charger was bolted to the engine raising output to 175 hp (130 kW) and 155 lb⋅ft (210 N⋅m) of torque, furthermore, the Integrated Motor Assist setup was modified utilizing components from Mission Motors[55] and a push-to-pass function was added, making a total of 200 hp (149 kW) and 175 lb⋅ft (237 N⋅m) of torque when the button is pressed.

[56][57] One of the two entrants battled from a near 10-lap deficit to finish second in the Endurance 3 class, after suffering early in the race from two five-minute "stop-and-hold" penalties caused by refueling problems.

Parts include an Aero Package, a tweaked sports suspension, a special glossy black grille with daytime running lights, a triangular sports exhaust, carbon fiber shift knob, a set of 17-inch bronze/silver wheels in 7-spoke and minor interior cosmetic bits.

Dubbed the Mugen RZ, the model features an aerodynamic body kit with a front spoiler, a revised grille and modified side skirts.

[62] The cabin has two-tone seats, a carbon fiber gear knob, a boost meter and an individually-numbered plaque.

[64] The parts line-up includes a supercharger kit, limited-slip differential, performance suspension, cat-back exhaust, rear diffuser, 18 inch alloy wheels, larger brake calipers and rotors, and decals and badges.

The supercharger kit can only be installed on manual transmission equipped vehicles and requires the dealer to send the car's ECU directly to HPD for reprogramming.

[65] If the supercharger kit was equipped at a Honda dealer, the original powertrain warranty would not be voided and carry over after installation was complete.

Cars with ECU's that have gone through HPD's programming also receive an individually numbered plaque placed just below the radio unit.