Honda CEO Takeo Fukui revealed in an interview with NEWSWEEK that his company is developing an all-new small hybrid car that he described as a five-passenger version of its quirky two-seater, the Insight gas-electric car. But unlike the Insight, which sells in small numbers to die-hard greenies, Fukui says this new Honda hybrid will be aimed at mainstream car buyers when it hits the road in two or three years. “Hybrid technology is very strong and proven technology for improving fuel economy,” he says. “And we won’t relent in our efforts.”

from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16526204/site/newsweek/

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Honda’s new hybrid, though, won’t be a version of anything else in its lineup. Instead, like the Prius, Honda’s new hybrid will have its own design from the wheels up. “We can envision something close to the Insight with five-passenger capacity and a relatively low price for mass-market consumers,” says Fukui.
How low will the price be? Honda won’t say. But the company offers a clue in how it describes the car. Code-named “Global Small Hybrid,” Honda’s new car will be about the size of its tiny Fit model, which is positioned just below the subcompact Civic in size and price. The Fit starts just under $14,000. So even with the $3,000 or $4,000 premium you pay for a hybrid, this new Honda could be priced below $20,000, potentially making it the least expensive hybrid on the market.

Yay! Go Honda!

GM will still be peddling imaginary cars when these new Honda's hit the lots.

Harry

 

Hi,

Nice article but from January 2008:
Honda certainly has a lot of credibility and if they are planning a more practical hybrid, this is good news. For grins, if they make it a 'flex fuel' (and Toyota does the same,) that will check the ethanol madness.

What I'd really like to see is a minivan hybrid, an obvious gap in the market. Then make a non-passenger version, no windows, for small businesses and the game is over.

Bob Wilson

 

Technically, this is an imaginary car too. Ideally, I'd like to see the Global Small Hybrid and the Volt both come to market.

 

I predict we will start to see more disiels make there way over from Honda which may kill the gas hybrid as we know it. Maybe a disiel hybrid will come of it. Before we see another new hybrid from Honda that is.

 

Those diesels from/for Europe is the primary reason (According to Toyota) that they are releasing their next generation (113MPG) Prius one year early; supposedly mid to late 2008.