'Green' Honda coupé is go

Going 'green' has never looked more exciting than this - Honda's show-stopping baby coupé

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Sam Hardy

17th March 2007

The mix of Japanese technology and Italian style was not only one of the stars of the Geneva expo, but revealed how an eco-friendly Honda sports car could look. The Small Hybrid Sports Concept was penned at the Japanese brand's design centre in Germany, but is the work of an Italian stylist. Its shape conjures up memories of the Honda CRX, the compact sports car from the late Eighties, while the two-door is marked out by its short front and rear overhangs and swooping body.

Similar in size to the Jazz supermini, the Small Hybrid Sports Concept measures 4,000mm long, 1,270mm tall and 1,760mm wide, and has a 2,350mm wheelbase. It features a chrome grille, a one-piece glass roof and a light bar that stretches across the tail. Completing the package are 20-inch chrome alloy wheels wrapped in low-rolling resistance rubber.

Under the skin is Honda's latest IMA hybrid system, which is already found in the Civic saloon. This uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which is assisted by an electric motor that drives the front wheels through a CVT automatic transmission. The lightweight coupé is also fitted with sports suspension which is designed to provide responsive handling.

Although Honda currently has no plans to put the Small Hybrid Sports Concept into production, buyers can expect to see some of its styling cues appear on forthcoming models from the firm. These newcomers could of course include a compact coupé.

Meanwhile, bosses have revealed that they expect sales of the Civic IMA Hybrid to more than treble in 2007, taking total volume to 3,000 units.