Futuristic styling. Hybrid power. Advanced interior design. And it’s all wrapped up in a lightweight, fun-to-drive package. What a concept! It’s the Honda CR-Z concept, to be exact—and it made its North American debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Shorthand for “Compact Renaissance Zero,” the CR-Z is a forward-thinking exercise in inspired design and environmental technology. The CR-Z draws its inspiration from a need to deliver spirited performance in an efficient manner. It is our goal to deliver a small CR-Z-based hybrid in the near future as part of our commitment to help effect positive environmental change. So keep on the lookout for more details about the CR-Z.

Honda will have 18 different vehicles gracing its stand in Tokyo, and one of the more accessible is the CR-Z Concept. The pseudo-acronym is an obvious play on the Godfather of the sport compact movement during the late 80s, the glass-hatched CRX, but Honda insists that it stands for "Compact Renaissance Zero." Fine by us, as we've been looking fondly on the past when it comes to the automaker's small-sized offerings.

The CR-Z finds it inspiration with a balance of entertaining driving dynamics and a hybrid power train that fuses lightweight chuckability with a clear environmental conscience. And it's doable to, as the hybrid power train sounds as if it's the same one found in the Honda Civic Hybrid.

The exterior styling is some of the more dynamic and attractive we've seen come out of Honda's design department in recent memory, eschewing the bulbous and boring with more aggression and vitality. The oversized grille and raked hood are mildly reminiscent of a fully formed Se7en, and the upkicked swage line tapers into powerful rear haunches, ending with tube-shaped tail lamps.

Inside, Honda was shooting for an airy atmosphere that marries high-tech with high-style, something that seems to have been handily achieved.

We're looking forward to seeing the CR-Z in person when it debuts less than two-weeks from now, and if the concept is as handsome in person as it is in the pics, we hope that it'll reach dealers sometime after the turn of the decade.

Article key : Honda CR-Z, Honda, CR-Z, 2008, 2009