Honda’s Prius rival coming in 2009
10-29-07, 02:08 PM
#1
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Honda’s Prius rival coming in 2009
Honda’s Prius rival coming in 2009
Posted on: October 29th, 2007
As we told you last week, Honda is planning the world’s cheapest hybrid to go head-to-head with Toyota. Honda hopes to sell 200,000 units annually for its global hybrid, 100,000 of which are expected to come from North American sales.
According to Honda’s COO Takanobu Ito, the car will hit the market in 2009 and will be a dedicated hybrid with no gasoline version. Ito says that the car will be priced below the Honda Civic Hybrid and right above the Honda Fit. He declined to say whether the car would be powered by a lithium-ion battery.
We’re not sure exactly what this hybrid will look like but it is expected to be a sedan that will take cues from the Honda Small Hybrid Sports (pictured above) concept seen at Geneva earlier this year, although it will be a little bigger in size and proportions.
We also learned last week that Honda will produce a production version of the CR-Z concept, a small hybrid which is expected by 2010. Honda is also set to debut a production version of the FCX concept at the LA Auto Show in November.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
Posted on: October 29th, 2007
As we told you last week, Honda is planning the world’s cheapest hybrid to go head-to-head with Toyota. Honda hopes to sell 200,000 units annually for its global hybrid, 100,000 of which are expected to come from North American sales.
According to Honda’s COO Takanobu Ito, the car will hit the market in 2009 and will be a dedicated hybrid with no gasoline version. Ito says that the car will be priced below the Honda Civic Hybrid and right above the Honda Fit. He declined to say whether the car would be powered by a lithium-ion battery.
We’re not sure exactly what this hybrid will look like but it is expected to be a sedan that will take cues from the Honda Small Hybrid Sports (pictured above) concept seen at Geneva earlier this year, although it will be a little bigger in size and proportions.
We also learned last week that Honda will produce a production version of the CR-Z concept, a small hybrid which is expected by 2010. Honda is also set to debut a production version of the FCX concept at the LA Auto Show in November.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
10-29-07, 02:15 PM
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just no gasoline only version . . .
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10-29-07, 03:04 PM
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10-29-07, 03:43 PM
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10-29-07, 05:44 PM
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I think it looks good. It looks like a pretty sporty looking regular car. If you didn't know it was a hybrid you wouldn't guess it was one. I like that direction. Hybrid's don't need to be funky looking cars. We already know current hybrid buyers will buy those types of cars, now manufacturers need to go after buyers that like hybrids, but not ready to buy funky looking ones, or really expensive ones.
10-29-07, 07:20 PM
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It won't lok much like that pic at all. It's waaay too radical and we know automakers don't ever take those types of chances (unfortunately). Not that I like this particular design.
So they say it will be priced above the Fit and below the Civic Hybrid
= the Civic LX's price point.
These are the Hybrids that people WANT. Dedicated hybrids that aren't versions of regular cars in the lineup. That is why the Prius is so successful.
So they say it will be priced above the Fit and below the Civic Hybrid
= the Civic LX's price point.
These are the Hybrids that people WANT. Dedicated hybrids that aren't versions of regular cars in the lineup. That is why the Prius is so successful.
10-29-07, 11:43 PM
#13
That poll that hybrid owners want to look different is not quite right IMHO. That is a poll of current hybrid owners. Those owners would buy a hybrid if it looked like a Prius or looked like a Corvette. You need to poll people who haven't bought a hybrid yet as to what style of hybrid they would buy if it were available. Basically all I'm saying is there needs to be more normal looking hybrid cars whether it is a dedicated line or a version of a current model.
10-30-07, 06:47 AM
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It's hybrids that traditional current hybrid owners want. The rest of us that haven't bought a dedicated hybrid like the Prius and Insight haven't bought them because of the style. As for why we haven't bought the other hybrids like the Accord, Camry Lexus and such. Well, The Lexus version are very expensive, the Accord one wasn't that great, but the Civic and Camry Hybrid are cars I would buy. Those are the types of cars we need more of. Not really performance hybrids or dedicated futuristic looking hybrids that only certain people could live with the style.
That poll that hybrid owners want to look different is not quite right IMHO. That is a poll of current hybrid owners. Those owners would buy a hybrid if it looked like a Prius or looked like a Corvette. You need to poll people who haven't bought a hybrid yet as to what style of hybrid they would buy if it were available. Basically all I'm saying is there needs to be more normal looking hybrid cars whether it is a dedicated line or a version of a current model.
That poll that hybrid owners want to look different is not quite right IMHO. That is a poll of current hybrid owners. Those owners would buy a hybrid if it looked like a Prius or looked like a Corvette. You need to poll people who haven't bought a hybrid yet as to what style of hybrid they would buy if it were available. Basically all I'm saying is there needs to be more normal looking hybrid cars whether it is a dedicated line or a version of a current model.
10-30-07, 06:52 AM
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Anyway, I agree with the thought that many do not want a hybrid that looks odd or stands out in the crowd. I was talking to a friend recently about this and he said and I quote "I would love to get a hybrid, but they're just too big and weird looking - why can't they make them small and sporty-looking?"
I agreed with him.