Although not exactly cheap, the new Honda CR-Z Mugen will still be affordable when it is launched in 2012 with base prices of around £23,000.

Although £23,000. is round about £5,000 more than you can expect to pay for the Honda CR-Z in its most basic trim and £2,000 more than the cost of a CR-Z 1.5 GT, when you see what you are getting for your money the CR-Z Mugen is reasonably priced.

Unlike many other hybrids that tend to look relatively tame with a style designed to appeal to the more conservative environmentally conscious, the Mugen has very aggressive looks. The car is a very sporty looking coupe which has a performance to match its looks.

It combines a supercharged petrol engine with a state of the a electric motor which give it just under 200bhp. The sports suspension includes adjustable dampers with five settings. The brakes have been upgraded (for the technically minded these are now four-pot callipers with vented and grooved 320mm discs) and the front track has been increased.

The driving characteristics are interesting too. When you launch the car the powerful electric motor provides huge amounts of torque prior to the supercharger kicking in and although you might have to work the six speed gearbox to maintain high torque levels through the revs the car simply powers along. Treat it tamely and it feels tame, but it responds well to a little aggression; 0 to 60 acceleration time is just 6.1 seconds. Cornering is excellent die to the modified suspension and there is very little body roll, especially in sports setting.

Expect to see these models appear in showrooms from February 2012.

Honda CR-Z Mugen