| First Drive | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Honda CR-Z |

Never a firm to turn down an engineering challenge, Honda has introduced the CR-Z as the first hybrid to be sold on more than just its environmental performance. Quirky good looks, a coupé body, a driver-focussed cabin, manual transmission and a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine boosted by an electric motor combine to produce something of a hybrid anomaly. The CR-Z is a hybrid that's aimed at drivers, rather than the usual green doomsayers.

In the Metal

It's an odd-looking little wedge, which proportionally seems to be as wide as it is long. Squat and interesting then, with a wind-cheating shape to make the most of its economical drivetrain when cruising. A large hatchback accesses a small-ish boot, though the luggage space can be extended by folding the rear seatbacks. You might as well do that too, as the back seat cushion touches the back of the front seats, so you're never going to fit anyone in them. It's telling that, in the range-topping GT model, Honda hasn't even covered them in the leather of the front seats.

The rear might be cramped, but up front the driver-orientated controls, cool 3D instruments and supportive seats make for a smart driving environment. It's definitely only a two-seater though; a quick glance over your shoulder underlines just how dark and cramped the rear space behind you is.

What you get for your Money

A sum of £16,999 buys the entry-level S model, while the likely big-selling Sport will be £17,999. There's a range-topping GT at £19,999, but the Sport comes with everything you could reasonably wish for - except a Bluetooth telephone connection. So the CR-Z is not that cheap, with supermini-derived hot-hatches offering far greater performance and practicality, yet the Honda will undoubtedly appeal to buyers wanting something that's green, but with some driver and styling credibility.

Driving it

For all their environmental credibility hybrids just don't excite us here. The CR-Z is different though, as Honda's people have developed it with economy and driver pleasure in mind - something that's never been done before. It's easy to write off the result looking at the raw performance figures, as 9.9 seconds to 62mph from rest today is middling performance. Put it into context though; alongside its 56.5mpg capability and 117g/km CO₂ output Honda's achievements with the CR-Z are impressive.

It works on the road too, the CR-Z driving like a conventional petrol engined car rather than any hybrid we've experienced before. Its 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine's 112bhp is boosted by 10bhp by the electric motor, while the combined torque output of both is 128lb.ft. What's crucial though is the way the torque is delivered so early, that peak output offered from just 1,000rpm. The 1.5-litre unit pulls with muscle that belies its small capacity, yet revs enthusiastically too. It's a convincing package, which you quickly forget is electrically boosted. Around town the engine shuts down when stopping. It is sometimes overly keen to fall into a green slumber, meaning that the stop-start system takes some getting used to initially.

A three-mode drive selector assists you in your driving goals, the Economy mode featuring a green-glowing ring and shift light in the smart instruments to eke out every mpg; Normal mode shares the shift indicator but reduces green priority of the CR-Z's economy systems to more regular settings; and the Sport mode adds weight to the steering, increases accelerator response and prioritises performance from both the petrol and electric motor.

That weightier steering in Sport mode is responsive, if lacking in detail at the rim, though the CR-Z does a convincing job of entertaining behind the wheel. While grip is good, and handling tidy, the CR-Z is not in the same sphere either in performance or ability of cars costing a good bit less, but neither can they provide the balance of driver enjoyment and economy. As a first step towards fun green hybrid motoring it's an impressive one, and in a different league for entertainment over every other hybrid that we've driven.

Worth Noting

Like its Insight relative the CR-Z scores your green credentials behind the wheel, the eco-score plant display withering if you're not careful with the accelerator, it blossoming if you've been more saintly. Being a hybrid automatically means the CR-Z won't cost you a penny in the London Congestion Charge zone, regardless of how you drive it...

Summary

The new Honda CR-Z may be some way off persuading hardcore drivers out of their performance cars, but it's an impressive step towards greener performance hybrid motoring all the same. For those concerned about the environment - or just wanting to spend less on fuel and tax - but still interested in a stylish, sporty-looking and feeling car it's certainly appealing. It's not cheap and it comes with some compromises to achieve its goals, but Honda's achievement with the CR-Z is to be applauded.