Honda's New Prius Fighter: 60mpg and Rumored $18,500 Price Tag
 

http://jalopnik.com/400052/honda-hyb...-named-insight


That was the rumor as reported on Jalopnik - with spy shots of the mule.

The Hybrid and MPG wars just got hotter - and consumers will benefit.


Here's the confirmation of Honda delivering vehicles by April of next year:


http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=130709

New Honda Hybrid Will Be a Toyota Prius Fighter, Especially on Price

Date posted: 08-13-2008


TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan — Honda's new Toyota Prius fighter, an unnamed compact five-door hatchback, will be priced below the current Honda Civic hybrid, said a top Honda executive on Wednesday.

Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor, told an industry seminar here that the Honda hybrid will be launched in spring 2009, priced lower than the $22,600 Honda Civic hybrid, according to the Associated Press. The Toyota Prius has a base price of $21,500.

The small hybrid is one of four new gas-electric models that Honda plans to roll out over the next four years, as part of a broad global strategy to boost hybrid sales to 500,000 units by 2012. The vehicle will be Honda's first dedicated hybrid since the Insight and is known inside the company as the New Dedicated Hybrid Vehicle or "small hybrid."

What this means to you: Think of this as an official declaration of war against the Toyota Prius by Honda — especially where pricing is concerned. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

i hope they build a true compact hybrid hatch instead of that abomination that is the Prius

chevy volt ftw

It is clear that we are entering a new phase of 50 to 90 mpg (VW Polo in Europe) vehicles, whether hybrid or diesel, and now we're talking seriously about those cars becoming available in the 15k to 20k price range.

This will change the world in a very dramatic way. Oil consumption could drop by a large %, even with a growing world population - the difference mass produced 60mpg+ highway suitable autos will have can not be overstated.

^ I completely agree. Instead of the horsepower wars that dominated the past 20 years we will finally witness a MPG war. But I agree with ZoomZoomh, you have to make it appealling to the eye. The prius sold because it was one of a kind, but if there is another car coming to compete with the prius it should attempt to look better.

It seems the car manufacturer's want these cars to look like a hybrid and that a lot of Prius customers want the same thing. They want to be seen in a hybrid and everyone to know they are saving the world. I don't think this is a bad thing (and sales obviously aren't a problem) but the car manufacturer's should offer something that is both good looking and a hybrid so they can attract even more consumers, the ones that wouldn't mind driving something more efficient but don't want it to be ass-ugly or simply don't want to appear like they are trying to make a statement. Sporty alternatives should start rolling out too as a hybrid shouldn't have to look slow.

Some car-mag speculation I read on the next Prius (Car and Driver) describes how it will be roomier with more equipment and amenities. Companies like Toyota or Honda should offer a complete line of dedicated hybrids to include a basic, barebones, efficiency-is-top-priority car small city car; a bigger (sub compact size) car with more passenger room and equipment; a compact one with even more equipment; a sports coupe type hybrid; and even a cross-over or bigger sedan to attract a full range of consumers and end the idea that an efficient car has to be boring or ugly.

Wasnt there talk of the new crx being hybrid? Could this be it?

the reason it looks so much like a prius is that the most aerodynamic shape is very simple. a drop of water. making that shape into a car is the complicated part. anyway, this hatchback shape is a pretty logical choice.

when i was younger, i designed a car that looks incredibly similar to the aptera typ-1. i was trying to come up with a really aerodynamic car. looks like i hit it spot on. thats why when the aptera is released on the east coast im definitely buying one. childhood dream realized.

I'll be waiting for the volt

These things will be all over with a price tag that low. Although, unless I travel A LOT everyday in the future, Ill always stick with normal gas guzzling vehicles, like the RX8 :lol:

you know even if honda NA price it at 18k its never going to be that price right? dealers will have a huge mark up on it because they are greedy. a used toyota prius would go for practically the same as a brand new one because everyone wants a brand new one and the dealerships doesnt have any.

Honda is refusing to allot any of these cars to any dealers unless they guarantee they will not mark them up over MSRP.

Wonder when Mazda will start with the hybrids? I guarantee you hydrogen will NEVER be happening on a large scale.

VW will has a TDI Jetta (also sportwagen), and soon to have a Rabbit and Tiguan, Toyota will have a new (rumored better) Prius, Chevy will have the Volt, Nissan pledges an all electric car by 2010 - and Honda will have it's Prius Slayer (60mpg guaranteed according to Honda) in just 8 short months -

We are entering a golden age.

Rumored to get 71mpg and be named the 'Insight.'

http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-insight.html

In Europe tiny gas-sipping cars are an everyday sight - Toyota sells 16 models/engine choices that are smaller than a Camry - and they don't sell the Camry at all.........

S

thats actually very good to hear.
might just get it for a second car if it doesnt end up looking like the prius.

The hydrogen cell powered FCX Clarity looks like a Prius. I'm not sure when the pictures were taken shown in the article but the vehicle in the pictures, even taped up, clearly has the same body as the Clarity. The Clarity is already out there for lease (in extremely limited numbers). So either, those pictures are old or not of the next Honda hybrid. However, it would not be far fetched idea for Honda to make a gas/electric hybrid version of the Clarity.