Next year, Honda and Toyota will go head-to-head with new flagship gas-electric hybrid cars. We all know what to expect from Toyota; its Prius is the best-selling hybrid to date, with over 180,000 sold in 2007 alone. The next-generation model will likely be better and more efficient.
Honda will counter the Prius with its new Insight — a five-door hatchback named after Honda’s first hybrid, discontinued in 2006 — which will be unveiled next month at the Paris Motor Show.
Honda Insight.
The Insight is labeled a concept car, but in photos recently released by Honda it looks very close to a production model, with bits and pieces taken from the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle.
It is a five-door with room for five. The Insight features an improved Integrated Motor Assist system that relies less on the gasoline engine. The hybrid control unit and battery pack are located beneath the trunk, which allows for a lower center of gravity and greater interior space.
Honda expects to make the Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date when it goes on sale early next year, around the same time the next-generation Toyota Prius goes on sale. Considering the heated competition, prices for both models could drop well below the $20,000 mark.
According to Auto Observer, Takeo Fukui, Honda’s chief executive, said in May that Honda plans on creating a family of hybrids, including a small sporty three-door hybrid based on the CR-Z concept and a hybrid version of the Fit.
Honda will counter the Prius with its new Insight — a five-door hatchback named after Honda’s first hybrid, discontinued in 2006 — which will be unveiled next month at the Paris Motor Show.
Honda Insight.
The Insight is labeled a concept car, but in photos recently released by Honda it looks very close to a production model, with bits and pieces taken from the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle.
It is a five-door with room for five. The Insight features an improved Integrated Motor Assist system that relies less on the gasoline engine. The hybrid control unit and battery pack are located beneath the trunk, which allows for a lower center of gravity and greater interior space.
Honda expects to make the Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date when it goes on sale early next year, around the same time the next-generation Toyota Prius goes on sale. Considering the heated competition, prices for both models could drop well below the $20,000 mark.
According to Auto Observer, Takeo Fukui, Honda’s chief executive, said in May that Honda plans on creating a family of hybrids, including a small sporty three-door hybrid based on the CR-Z concept and a hybrid version of the Fit.
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