Today’s reports shed more light on the upcoming Nissan hybrid sports car, including that it will be built on a front wheel drive platform and not a rear wheel drive one that is rumored to underpin the 240SX replacement.

The new, unnamed 2+2 FWD coupe would compete directly with Honda’s CR-Z hybrid, which is also in the works and billed as the CRX replacement with a heavy dash of its first hybrid, the Insight, thrown in.

Nissan will bring the hybrid to market by 2010, according to 7tune.com reports. The car will be built on a shortened B-segment platform that underpins the current Versa hatchback and sedan (Tiida in other markets) and will be primarily sold in Europe.

Underbody aerodynamic aids are expected to improve fuel economy, as is a projected weight of around 2,400lbs. A large panoramic glass roof is also on the cards.

The rumored overall length, at 173.2 inches, is just over 4 inches longer than the Versa hatch, while the 70.2-inch width is less than 4 more. The car will be 3.3 inches shorter as well while the wheelbase remains the same at 102.4 inches.

The engine is expected to be Nissan’s 1.5-liter HR15DE inline-four coupled to an electric motor, and driving the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters. The suspension may be performance tuned and include double wishbones in place of the Versa’s torsion beam rear axle. Brembo brakes are expected, as are 17-inch wheels. The base-level is expected to cost the equivalent of about $21,000.

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