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Take the temperature of the auto industry right now, and you’d find that it’s green. Or blue. Or whatever color you happen to associate with fuel efficiency and environmental consciousness.

So far, not a single automotive press conference has gone by without mention of some sort of new gas sipping vehicle, emissions reducing technology or campaign to save the whales. Just look at the vehicles announced at this year’s show; of the twenty odd major reveals, seven involved either hybrid or electric vehicles. From the Audi e-tron to the Hyundai Blue-Will, BMW ActivE and Volvo C30 BEV (battery electric vehicle) – the message is clear: green is the new black.

But can green also be sporty?

Honda and VW seem to think so. Both revealed hybrids that tout the familiar high fuel efficiency and low emissions line, but they also claim their hybrids will be sporty and fun-to-drive – which would be a first for the admittedly staid segment. Let’s take a closer look at these claims.

With 177 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, the VW New Compact Coupe (NCC)  concept boasts an output that would put it at the head of the pack of four-cylinder powered hybrids. NCC’s claimed top speed of 141 mph and 0-60 time of 8.1-seconds is not particularly impressive in the age of sub-5 second Subaru WRXs, but for hybrids this is practically Top Fuel territory. Neither the Honda Insight or Toyota Prius can smell a 60 mph time close to 8 or even 9 seconds (Prius/10.6 seconds, Insight/10.4 seconds.) And consider this - VW claims NCC will achieve 45 mpg combined, which is significantly better than the Insight (43mpg) and only 5 mpg under the average of the Toyota Prius.

Something rotten in Wolfsburg? A bit fishy perhaps, but hey, this is, after all,...

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