The hybrid fuel car, combining electricity with petrol, has become the focus of motor industry hopes of producing an eco-friendly car that works in the real world.

Honda’s latest, the Civic IMA (Integrated Motor Assist), is not a specially built car, like its predecessor the Insight and its competitor the Toyota Prius — both of which fail to match the advantages of a conventional car — but just another model in the Civic range. That means the result is good looking and spacious.

The IMA system works through an electric motor between engine and gearbox. During acceleration the electric motor gives its petrol-powered host a helping hand, while during braking it acts as a generator, using energy that would have been lost to recharge the battery.

Thanks to the electric motor, the IMA develops 89bhp, a more than respectable output for a 1.3 litre engine. But performance is still limited, with a top speed of just 105mph and a 0 to 62mph time of 12sec. Its 57.7mpg combined consumption is little better than the 56.5mpg offered by the Civic diesel.

The IMA’s emissions are substantially lower, at 116g/km of CO2 compared with 134g/km for the diesel but it is only the 3% surcharge on diesel engines — which will disappear in two years — that makes the IMA a more tax-efficient company car. Private buyers will qualify for a £1,000 PowerShift grant, making its effective retail price just £13,995.

At that price, the IMA is exceptionally equipped with leather upholstery, climate control, alloy wheels, a CD player and, crucially, immunity from Ken Livingstone as standard.

You need no special skills to drive the IMA. It won’t start without your foot on the clutch, in case you have left it in gear, and it then uses its electric motor to fire the engine so there’s no starter motor chug. It will cut the power supply completely to save energy at traffic lights but otherwise it is business as usual.

It feels impressively strong at low engine speeds thanks to its ability to generate more torque at idle than a Civic 1.6 can at its peak, and so long as you don’t try to extract maximum performance, it’s smooth enough.

The IMA is not just the most convincing petrol/electric hybrid yet, it should also appeal to those who really do care about the environment and the carbon dioxide we are chucking into it. For the first time many will feel its drawbacks are sufficiently small not to break the deal.

VITAL STATISTICS
Model Honda Civic IMA
Engine type Four cylinders, 1339cc plus 144v electric motor
Power 89bhp @ 5700rpm with IMA
Torque 117lb ft @ 1000rpm with IMA
Suspension (front) MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar; (rear) double wishbones, anti-roll bar
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 57.7mpg (combined)/ 116g/km
Top speed 105mph
Acceleration 0 to 62mph: 12sec
Price £14,995; £13,995 with PowerShift grant
Verdict A small step, but in the right direction