Honda CR-X del Sol
Encyclopedia
The Honda Civic CRX del Sol is a 2-seater front-engined, front wheel drive, targa top
convertible
manufactured by Honda
in the 1990s. Based on the crx platform, the del Sol was the successor to the popular Honda CR-X
. It debuted in 1992 in Japan
and the United Kingdom
, and 1993 in the United States
.
The Spanish
name del Sol translates to of the sun, and refers to the car's opening roof. It was not a full convertible, featuring a removable hardtop
that stowed in the trunk and a retractable rear window for a convertible 'feel' (known as targa top). Trunk space was reduced from 10.5cf to 8.3cf while the targa was stowed.
In many markets the CR-X naming convention was dropped from the del Sol line as it was distinctly different from earlier models, which were hatchbacks and not targas. Starting with the 1995 models, Honda dropped the 'Civic' name from the del Sol in the Americas. In Europe, the del Sol tag was dropped in 1995, and the car was known as the new CRX.
Production and sales ended with the 1997 model in the U.S. and 1998 elsewhere, with a total of slightly fewer than 75,000 models sold in America. The car was replaced by the high-performance S2000
roadster in 1999, although it was released as a 2000 model in the United States
& Canada
.
and Europe in 1992, and North America
in 1993 in two trim levels, The S and the SI (The European market came with the Japanese-market SiR (called the VTi in Europe) and the US-market Si (called the ESi in Europe). The base "S" model (called the VXi in Japan from 1992–1994, but after 1995 called the VGi) came with a 1.5 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder engine and rode on 13" steel wheels, available only at Honda Verno Japanese dealerships. The Japanese VXi/VGi versions came with a Honda D15B engine. This was an entry level VTEC engine that produces 130 bhp, matching the power of the 1.6 Si version. Despite the body resemblance to a mid-engined car design, the del Sol shared a front-engined design with the contemporary Honda Civic
.
The uplevel "Si" (called the "ESi" in Europe) model came standard with a 1.6 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder engine with Honda's VTEC
. The Si also came with 14" alloy wheels which were offered in an optional body color-matched paint scheme on Samba Green models, power side mirrors, cruise control
, rear disc brakes and a front anti-sway bar for improved handling.
The VTEC
trim level (called the "SiR" in Japan and the "VTi" in Europe) was added in 1994 in the United States (The CR-X Model in Japan had the B16A engine with 167 hp though), with the first appearance of a 160 hp
(119 kW) Honda DOHC VTEC
B-series engine in a U.S.-spec Honda; similar to the B16A found in the JDM Civic SiR-II
. This trim level came with bigger front brakes, larger front anti-sway bar, additional rear anti-sway bar and wider tires.
On all models, the only options were a rear spoiler
, custom floor mats, an automatic transmission
, power steering, heated mirrors, front fog lights (1993-1995 models only) traction contol system, limited slip differential, and air conditioning
.
Changes for 1993:
Changes For 1994:
Changes For 1995:
Changes For 1996 (mid-model refresh):
Changes For 1997:
Changes For 1998:
Decoder for US Domestic Market del Sol:
Example Description
Vin #
------- --------------------------------
J ] - Country of Manufacture J = Japan
H ╗ - HM = Honda Motor Co. passenger car
M ╝
E ╗ EG1 = D15B7 (93-95 S)
G ] - Engine: EG2 = B16A2 (96-97 VTEC), B16A3 (94-95 VTEC)
2 ╝ EH6 = D16Y7 (96-97 S), D16Y8 (96-97 Si), D16Z6 (93-95 Si)
1 ] - Body/Transmission: 1 = 2-door manual 5-speed 2 = 2-door automatic
6 ] - Vehicle Series: 4 = S 6 = Si 7 or 9 = Si with ABS, or VTEC
? ] - math check digit
R ] - Model Year: P = 1993, R = 1994, S = 1995, T = 1996, V = 1997
S ] - Assembly Plant: C = Sayama, S = Suzuka, T = Tochigi
0 ╗
0 ║
5 ] - Serial number, based on the sequence off the
7 ║ production line
9 ║
3 ╝
Targa top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
manufactured by Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
in the 1990s. Based on the crx platform, the del Sol was the successor to the popular Honda CR-X
Honda CR-X
This article is about the first and second generations of the CR-X. For the third generation, see Honda CR-X del Sol.The Honda CR-X, originally launched as the Honda Ballade Sports CR-X in Japan, was a front-wheel-drive sports compact car manufactured by Honda. The first generation CR-X was sold in...
. It debuted in 1992 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and 1993 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
name del Sol translates to of the sun, and refers to the car's opening roof. It was not a full convertible, featuring a removable hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
that stowed in the trunk and a retractable rear window for a convertible 'feel' (known as targa top). Trunk space was reduced from 10.5cf to 8.3cf while the targa was stowed.
In many markets the CR-X naming convention was dropped from the del Sol line as it was distinctly different from earlier models, which were hatchbacks and not targas. Starting with the 1995 models, Honda dropped the 'Civic' name from the del Sol in the Americas. In Europe, the del Sol tag was dropped in 1995, and the car was known as the new CRX.
Production and sales ended with the 1997 model in the U.S. and 1998 elsewhere, with a total of slightly fewer than 75,000 models sold in America. The car was replaced by the high-performance S2000
Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is a roadster that was manufactured by the Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. It was launched in April 1999 and was created to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car was first shown as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995, following which it was launched in...
roadster in 1999, although it was released as a 2000 model in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
& Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Specification
The CRX del Sol, known as the Civic del Sol in the USA and the new CRX in Europe (CR-X del-sol until 1995 when the del Sol was dropped in Europe) was first introduced to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Europe in 1992, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1993 in two trim levels, The S and the SI (The European market came with the Japanese-market SiR (called the VTi in Europe) and the US-market Si (called the ESi in Europe). The base "S" model (called the VXi in Japan from 1992–1994, but after 1995 called the VGi) came with a 1.5 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder engine and rode on 13" steel wheels, available only at Honda Verno Japanese dealerships. The Japanese VXi/VGi versions came with a Honda D15B engine. This was an entry level VTEC engine that produces 130 bhp, matching the power of the 1.6 Si version. Despite the body resemblance to a mid-engined car design, the del Sol shared a front-engined design with the contemporary Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
.
The uplevel "Si" (called the "ESi" in Europe) model came standard with a 1.6 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder engine with Honda's VTEC
VTEC
VTEC is a valvetrain system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine. The VTEC system uses two camshaft profiles and electronically selects between the profiles. It was invented by Honda R&D engineer Ikuo Kajitani, and was the first system...
. The Si also came with 14" alloy wheels which were offered in an optional body color-matched paint scheme on Samba Green models, power side mirrors, cruise control
Cruise control
Cruise control is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.-History:...
, rear disc brakes and a front anti-sway bar for improved handling.
The VTEC
VTEC
VTEC is a valvetrain system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine. The VTEC system uses two camshaft profiles and electronically selects between the profiles. It was invented by Honda R&D engineer Ikuo Kajitani, and was the first system...
trim level (called the "SiR" in Japan and the "VTi" in Europe) was added in 1994 in the United States (The CR-X Model in Japan had the B16A engine with 167 hp though), with the first appearance of a 160 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(119 kW) Honda DOHC VTEC
VTEC
VTEC is a valvetrain system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine. The VTEC system uses two camshaft profiles and electronically selects between the profiles. It was invented by Honda R&D engineer Ikuo Kajitani, and was the first system...
B-series engine in a U.S.-spec Honda; similar to the B16A found in the JDM Civic SiR-II
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
. This trim level came with bigger front brakes, larger front anti-sway bar, additional rear anti-sway bar and wider tires.
On all models, the only options were a rear spoiler
Spoiler (automotive)
A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...
, custom floor mats, an automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, power steering, heated mirrors, front fog lights (1993-1995 models only) traction contol system, limited slip differential, and air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
.
TransTop
An option available in Japan and Europe was the TransTop, an electric mechanism which retracted the targa top into the trunk via a push of a button. The roof is operated by flicking two catches above the windows, then holding down a button. The trunk lid raises vertically and two arms extend into the targa top. After locking the lid to the arms, the arms pull the targa into the trunk lid, which lowers back down with the targa inside.Model updates
Changes for 1992:- CR-X del Sol launched in two trim levels - SiR (VTEC) and VX
Changes for 1993:
- Civic del Sol launched in two trim levels - S (VXi) and Si (ESi) (US)
Changes For 1994:
- Added VTEC trim level, with B16a3 engine (DOHC VTEC) 160 hp 118 lbft (US), and improved suspension (US)
- S trim level receives front sway bar
- Dual airbags standard (US)
Changes For 1995:
- Civic tag dropped from US del Sol name. Model is now called del Sol (USA)
- del Sol tag dropped from European CR-X del-sol name. Model is now called CRX (Europe)
- VXi Was only available in Japan as a 1.5 single cam vtec VGi is the Japanese version of the European ESi 1.6 single cam vtec
- Added B16a3 engine (DOHC VTEC) 160 hp 118 lbft (US)
- Redesigned targa top seals to help prevent leakage (US)
- Added Anti-lock brakes (VTEC model), 2522 lb (1,144 kg) base weight now (US)
- Added remote trunk release (US)
- New seat materials (US)
- Low fuel light (US)
- New alloy wheel design (US)
- Added power steering (US); standard on Si, VTEC
Changes For 1996 (mid-model refresh):
- Elimination of B16a3 engine (US)
- Added new VTEC engine B16a2 (DOHC VTEC) 160 hp 111 lbft (7 lbft less than original) ( B16a2 engine is the same as 99-2000 Civic Si)(US)
- Elimination of front auxiliary headlamps (US)
- Small airdam / rear deck aesthetic treatment (US)
- New front bumper and air dam (US)
- Length increase to 157.7 in (4,006 mm)(US)
- The base del Sol S receives the 106 hp 1.6-liter engine, a four-hp increase over previous year's 1.5-liter. (US)
- The del Sol Si receives the 1996 127 hp Civic engine, as well as the suspension and steering of the 160 hp VTEC. (US)
- All del Sols now have 1.6 liter engines: 106 hp, 127 hp and 160 hp(US).
- OBD-II Emission control system Implemented.
Changes For 1997:
- Production ends (US; CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
)
Changes For 1998:
- Production ends (Japan, Europe)
Sales
Number of del Sols sold in the USA:| 1993 | 25,748 |
| 1994 | 21,075 |
| 1995 | 14,021 |
| 1996 | 8,489 |
| 1997 | 5,603 |
VIN Decoder
VINVehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...
Decoder for US Domestic Market del Sol:
Example Description
Vin #
------- --------------------------------
J ] - Country of Manufacture J = Japan
H ╗ - HM = Honda Motor Co. passenger car
M ╝
E ╗ EG1 = D15B7 (93-95 S)
G ] - Engine: EG2 = B16A2 (96-97 VTEC), B16A3 (94-95 VTEC)
2 ╝ EH6 = D16Y7 (96-97 S), D16Y8 (96-97 Si), D16Z6 (93-95 Si)
1 ] - Body/Transmission: 1 = 2-door manual 5-speed 2 = 2-door automatic
6 ] - Vehicle Series: 4 = S 6 = Si 7 or 9 = Si with ABS, or VTEC
? ] - math check digit
R ] - Model Year: P = 1993, R = 1994, S = 1995, T = 1996, V = 1997
S ] - Assembly Plant: C = Sayama, S = Suzuka, T = Tochigi
0 ╗
0 ║
5 ] - Serial number, based on the sequence off the
7 ║ production line
9 ║
3 ╝
See also
- Porsche 914Porsche 914The Porsche 914 or VW-Porsche 914 is a mid-engined, targa-topped two-seat roadster designed, manufactured and marketed collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 to 1976.- Development :...
-- the original targa top with vertical rear window