These's a school of thought that it might take visitors from other planets to save ours, given the dreadfully poor job we humans are doing of reducing global warming.
If altruistic aliens did indeed swoop down from the skies on an earth-saving mission, they might do a double take upon encountering the new Honda CR-Z, as its Star Trek styling might look akin to something from their own galaxy.
But upon closer inspection they'd see it was also a kindred eco-warrior with its planet-friendly hybrid power, which emits a super-low 117g of carbon dioxide per kilometre. This makes it one of just a handful of cars on the South African market slipping in below the 120g carbon tax threshold introduced on 1 September.
The majority of the CR-Z's muscle is supplied by an 84kW, 1.5-litre petrol engine based on the one used in the Honda Jazz, but additional juice comes from a 10kW electric motor situated between engine and transmission.
The motor in turn is juiced-up by a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery under the boot floor. Total outputs are 91kW and 174Nm, around the same as a conventional 1.8-litre petrol engine.
The CR-Z takes a different spin on the hybrid theme in that, unlike cars like the Toyota Prius and Lexus H models, it never runs solely on electric power.
Instead, the electric motor is there to provide an additional shot of pace when needed, particularly at lower rpm where the rev-happy petrol motor feels a bit limp-wristed (an electric motor's advantage is that its peak torque is available almost instantly).
When the extra grunt's not required, such as during braking or freewheeling, the motor keeps busy by charging the NiMH battery.
On its own the hybrid drivetrain wouldn't achieve any spectacular fuel economy but, as the Beatles sang, it gets by with a little help from its friends, namely different throttle maps, a stop-start system and a host of fuel-consumption meters that help keep you on the green and narrow.
There are three driving modes selectable by buttons on the dashboard which adjust the throttle, steering and hybrid drivetrain responses.
In Economy mode the car feels desperately vague and sleepy (nobody said saving the planet doesn't take some sacrifices); Normal feels a bit better and Sport sharpens up both throttle and steering to levels that even boy racers will appreciate.
From Economy to Sport there really is a big difference in the car's feel.
BE NICE TO THE PLANET
A host of visual aids in the instrument panel keep the driver abreast of the car's fume-production levels. The most visible and glamorous one - which Andrew Lloyd Webber himself would be proud of - is a bright corona around the digital speedo that changes colour depending on how you're driving.
It's green when you're being nice to the planet, blue when you're driving normally, and red (the only colour available in Sport mode) when you're feeling like Fernando Alonso down the Monza straight.
But that's not all, as the infomercials say. The trip data computer also shows instant and average fuel consumption while a shift indicator informs you of the optimal time to change gears.
The display that really lightened my right foot, however, was one that "grew" digital trees when I drove economically (and cut them down when I didn't).
It's a strong psychological motivator and it became a game to see just how many of those trees I could grow, which is exactly what Honda had in mind.
BOTTOM LINE
The stop-start system cuts the engine whenever you come to a halt and fires it up again when you select a gear. It's simple and unobtrusive once you get used to it, even in busy stop-start traffic.
Bottom line? Under the guidance of all these tree-hugging electronic nannies I averaged fuel consumption of 5.7 litres/100km in a combination of town and freeway driving, rising to 6.4 with high-performance testing included.
That's good, although probably no better than a turbodiesel engine of a similar size.
But Honda's marketing the CR-Z as a car that satisfies your carbon conscience while also providing a sporty drive, and it lives up to that expectation in the cheeky chortle of its engine note and its nimble handling.
The little Honda's low ride height and firm-ish suspension make it scurry through bends like a rat through a twisty drainpipe and, in Sport mode, the steering has an entertainingly direct feel.
FUTURISTIC
But there just isn't enough power to rock your boat, and the hybrid Honda doesn't rise above a medium-paced commuter. At sea level the car will reach a claimed 100km/h in ten seconds but at altitude the best we managed was 12.2.
How quick the car is depends entirely on the level of charge in the electric motor's battery; when it was flat the 0-100 time increased to a lazy 14.9sec.
The CR-Z looks as futuristic inside as out, with a fascia that would be more at home in a starship than a humble earthly conveyance. Mixed in with the bling are high-class finishes and a raft of comfort features, including heatable leather seats, full climate control and a multifunction steering wheel.
The CR-Z's officially a 2+2 seater but realistically there's room for just two people and a pair of small dogs, as the rear seat is laughably cramped. The 192-litre boot is reasonably spacious considering there's a battery its floor.
Poor rearward vision is another blemish and there's a thick strut across the back windscreen blocking your view.
VERDICT
The Honda CR-Z is the hybrid of choice for eco-warriors wishing to satisfy their carbon conscience in style and with sporty handling - if you can live with its dismal rear legroom and limited rearward visibility. If you want practicality as well as a reduced carbon footprint, if reduced fun levels, choose the more spacious Prius instead.