Hybrid version planned

Honda has officially unveiled the Concept B in China at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show.

The concept acts as a preview for an upcoming five-door model designed exclusively for the Chinese market. It will be a compact hatchback priced affordably which will target a young audience once it goes on sale sometime in 2016. The production model will also receive a hybrid powertrain called "FUNTEC" which promises to be not only efficient but also make the car more fun to drive compared to conventional-powered segment rivals.

In terms of design, the Honda Concept B is a slight departure from the firm's recent concepts with an oversized Exciting H front grille, long LED daytime running lights and C-shaped taillights interconnected by a center light bar. It sits on shiny chrome alloy wheels which have a rather busy design while instead of conventional door mirrors it has a pair of cameras. Since all the windows of the showcar in Beijing had a full black tint, chances are Honda hasn't developed an interior for this concept.

It seems like Honda has big plans for China where it presented a new Concept B model for a five-door liftback model with sporty proportions at the Beijing Auto Show this weekend.

Developed exclusively for the Chinese market, the Concept B sports an unidentified hybrid powertrain, with the Japanese carmaker stating that it will inspire a production model that will go on sale by 2016.

"The development of a mass-production model based on this concept model is in progress, which Honda plans to introduce to the market in two years," said the company in a statement.

Seeing the compact model, we can't help but wonder how different the Insight Hybrid's career may have been if it looked like this…