The new affordable, sporty hybrid Honda CR-Z is all set to go on sale in Japan.

Honda is aiming the car at the younger generation, who want to go for a "green" car with a bit of flair and oomph. The car will go on sale in Japan today and in the United States and Europe by midyear.

Chief Executive Takanobu Ito said, "Product quality is extremely important to us'', though Ito declined to comment on the troubles facing Toyota Motor Corp., whose President faced questioning on Wednesday by lawmakers in Washington, over massive recalls of about 8.5 million vehicles globally.

Rather than talking about the Toyota debacle, Ito instead highlighted the challenges facing automakers as they expand abroad.

"When Honda grew rapidly around the world in the 1990s, it also experienced an increase in complaints from customers", he said.

Honda Motor Co. announced on Thursday that "the Japanese price would be 2.268 million yen ($25,300) for the basic model and 2.498 million yen ($27,900) for the top-end model".

Prices elsewhere haven't been decided yet.

The company claims that the CR-Z gets 25 kilometers per liter (58.8 miles per gallon).