Honda hybrid concept to show in Paris
Toyota Prius rival revives the Insight nameplate and Honda promises that it will be priced lower than any hybrid car currently sold
By Justin Lee
HONDA HAS REVEALED its first official photograph of its upcoming hybrid car which will be shown at the Paris Motor Show next month.
The production version will go on sale in early 2009 and will be named the Insight –reviving the name of the 1999 hybrid coupe – the first hybrid car to be sold the company.
Honda promises that the Insight will be priced significantly lower than any other hybrid car on the market, making petrol-electric technology accessible to more people.
The car will be a five door family hatchback, capable of seating up to five people and is smaller than the Civic Hybrid. It is based on a completely new platform and takes many exterior styling cues from the FCX Clarity, Honda’s hydrogen-powered fuel cell car, which is currently being leased to customers in the United States.
The control unit and battery for the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system are mounted beneath the boot space to give the Insight both a low centre of gravity and the practicality of a conventional hatchback.
Honda aims to sell 200,000 Insights a year globally and over the next few years, the company will also launch a sporty hybrid based on the CR-Z two door sports car (first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show), a Jazz Hybrid and a new Civic Hybrid. With these four hybrid cars, Honda hopes to sell over 500,000 hybrids globally per year and garner 10 per cent of all global hybrid sales.
President and CEO of Honda Motor Co. Takeo Fukui said the original Honda Insight launched in 1999, was the pioneer of hybrid technology and remains an iconic symbol of Honda’s environmental innovation.
“This new Insight will also break new ground by providing an affordable hybrid to an expanded number of customers craving great fuel economy and great value,” he said.
