DETROIT – The first-gen Honda CR-X combined sportiness with fuel economy in a package that was, and still is, an absolute blast to drive. It's a combination the Japanese automaker offers again in the CR-Z, a hybrid that could be called a modern incarnation of that venerable hatchback.

Honda unveiled the production version of the two-seater here at the North American International Auto Show. It joins the Civic and Insight hybrids in Honda's gas-electric line-up, and the company promises it will bring a measure of sexiness and sportiness to the hybrid segment when it appears in showrooms this summer.

"You don't think 'sporty' and 'hybrid,'" said John Mendel, executive v.p. of sales for American Honda. "This car challenges that convention."

Does it?

The Honda CR-Z, which will be built in Japan, combines a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine with the 10 kilowatt (13.4 horsepower) motor in Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system. The package delivers 122 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. Those aren't stellar numbers, but then the 1.5-liter in the first-gen CR-X topped out at 76 horsepower.

The hybrid drivetrain is mated to your choice of gearboxes. Those inclined toward flogging the CR-Z for all it's worth can get a six-speed manual – a first in the hybrid segment. Those who would rather set it and forget it can opt for a continuously variable transmission. Both use paddle shifters. Yes, a CVT with paddle shifters. Honda says it will "increase the performance potential" by allowing the driver to "manually simulate the stepped holding pattern."

Honda's engineers gave the car three modes – sport, economy and normal. Push the "sport" button on the dash and you'll get better throttle response and a better feel to the electric steering effort. "Econ" gives you optimal fuel economy by regulating throttle response and easing the air conditioner's load on the engine. "Normal" splits the difference.

The car is more aggressively styled than the Insight hybrid, and it nicely updates the styling of the second-generation CR-X. Although smaller than the Insight, it burns more gas. Mendel said the CR-Z will get 36 mpg in the city and 38 highway if you're driving one with a CVT. The manual gets 31/37.

Hybrid fanatics and hypermilers will jump all over Honda for those figures, which are pretty weak as far as gas-electric cars go (and pale compared to 1989 CR-X HF, which got 41/50 under the updated EPA standards), but Mendel said it's good for a sporty car.

If you consider the CR-Z sporty, that is.

No word on price, but Mendel said it will cost more than the $19,800 Insight. Honda expects to sell around 10,000 of them in the United States during the first year.

Photos: Chuck Squatriglia / Wired.com

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