Honda's super green machine

THERE are hot hatches to die for and saloons and estates that are far from slouches but the CR-Z is the only sports coupe in the current Honda range.

And it's a hybrid. On paper things look less than promising, with a total 122bhp available from its 1.5-litre petrol engine and the helping hand of the electric motor that charges under lift-off or braking.

But it ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it – and the CR-Z should bring a smile to any enthusiast's lips.

First thing you notice is the styling. Echoes of the old CR-X are entirely intentional, it seems, although that said, the new baby has very much its own individual appearance.

Second thing you spot in the showroom is the price sticker – and there's nothing wrong with that either, starting at mid-spec three-door Civic money.

Open the door and, although some plastics on the tech-fest dash might not be to all tastes, you'll see they have not skimped on the interior – quite impressive-looking in Doyle Motors' demonstrator, a CR-Z Sport.

Sandwiched between S and GT, Sport is the middle of the three trim specs but comes with pretty much everything you could want, leather trim and sat nav apart.

Even the entry level model comes with climate control, CDF stereo, ESP, six airbags and active headrests, electric windows, daytime running lights, and a Shift Indicator Light showing the optimum time to change gear for economy.

The Sport adds ambient lighting, alloy pedals, parking sensors, cruise control, privacy glass and a USB port for MP3 players.

The cockpit is pretty roomy, too, with room up front for a couple of six-footers-plus.

Luggage space is not bad though – easily accessed through the tailgate and easily extended by dropping the rear seats flat.

But coupes should offer something a bit special in the driving department and Honda has gone to considerable lengths to make sure that the CR-Z delivers.

There's a superslick, short-throw six-speed gearbox – the first in a hybrid. And they've somehow engineered a nice lot of feel into the well-weighted electrically assisted steering.

The chassis, derived from the Insight, feels well-sorted.

The CR-Z feels taut and precise and rides comfortably, too.

They've done a similarly good job on the brakes. When slowing the CR-Z still harvests energy to keep the batteries topped up – but with some hybrids this regenerative braking can make the pedal feel synthetic.

No such problem with the CR-Z, where the brake pedal feels totally hydraulic and very reassuring – just as it should on a car aimed at enthusiastic drivers.

Drive the CR-Z in Sport mode – of which more anon – and the performance is sufficient to make the car a credible sports coupe.

The exhaust note is tuned to add to the experience and, while most sporting Hondas have thrived on high revs, the CR-Z is different.

The Integrated Motor Assist, a slim 60kg electric motor unit that sits between the engine and gearbox, chips in its extra 58lb/ft of torque early on so maximum torque arrives at just 1,000 to 1,500rpm.

The result is a car that is very much on the case at local speeds.

In fact it must be the most Guernsey-friendly coupe around – a sensible 1,740mm wide and you can use sixth quite sensibly from 34mph upwards. In fact, given the size of most desirable cars these days, perhaps 1,740mm narrow might be more accurate.

Of course the CR-Z is the car that aims to combine driving fun and environmental responsibility.

So it offers three driving experiences – not bad for the money. Select Sport mode with the dash button and you can feel everything tighten up and hunker down. The throttle response is sharper and unfettered road testers have hustled the CR-Z up to 60mph in around nine seconds – enough to back up its sporting pretensions.

Meanwhile, back in the nose-to-tail, hedge-veg-held-up, roadworks-frustrated real world, the Normal and Economy modes usefully turn down the wick to reduce emissions and fuel bills. Economy mode even adjusts the air conditioning as well as the petrol engine and the IMA hybrid system to prioritise efficiency.

And the futuristic three-dimensional instrument pack will keep you entertained as you plod around in local traffic.

A large central tacho dominates the display and has within its centre a clear digital speedo.

An eco drive bar tells you whether you are drawing from the battery or regenerating it and other instrumentation informs the driver of everything they'll need to know about fuel consumption and what the IMA is doing.

A gearchange shift light operates in the non-Sport modes prompting upward or downward changes at the optimum time to save emissions.

In Economy mode the lighting shifts, predictably, to green and as you drive more frugally you are rewarded by extra leaves 'growing' on a small 'plant' on the instrument display. I believe it will eventually flower to reward your green driving.

It would be easy to dismiss this as gimmicky. Easy, but wrong. The reality is that, without being dangerously distracting, it provides a stimulus when bumbling around at speeds that could otherwise cause the brain to turn completely off.

And talking of turning off, the engine does just that when you select neutral in traffic queues, again cutting emissions.

Select a gear and restarting is instantaneous, although at idle the engine is quiet enough for you to need to look at the tacho for reassurance.

As well as those comparatively modest dimensions, CR-Z Sport comes with rear parking sensors, decent rearward visibility albeit split by the spoiler. Yes, the rear pillar is pretty chunky but electric powerfolding mirrors and rear parking sensors more than compensate.

So what's not to like?

I would willingly trade in that underfloor tray for either extra boot space or a spare wheel, but there is room for a couple of cases and a couple of golf bags and that is all CR-Z owners will ever need.

And while the back seats would accommodate only two of Snow White's friends, Honda could fairly argue that Porsche and others have been getting away with no-bigger +2s for years and charging loads more for the privilege.

They must be worthwhile because our friends in the US, where the CR-Z was launched, are apparently envious of 'our' rear seats which are not available in CR-Zs over there.

So, it's satisfyingly sporty, good looking in most eyes and I am not minded to argue, and genuinely green.

Depending on usage some diesels might match hybrids' headline economy figures, but catalysed petrol engines are much cleaner.

As Victor Hugo was saying only the other century, 'There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.'

He could have been talking about the CR-Z.

How Insightful.