Honda to roll out cheap new hybrid model in early '09

Source: Reuters



TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Wednesday it would launch a new, low-cost hybrid car in Japan, North America and Europe in early 2009 as it seeks to cut the lead of Toyota Motor Corp in the green car race.

(snip)

Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo said Honda hoped to price the hybrid-only car under 2 million yen ($19,290).

(snip)

Honda expects annual sales of 200,000 for the new hybrid. Total hybrid sales, including the Civic hybrid, a new hybrid version of its popular Fit subcompact and a planned sports car based on the CR-Z concept model, are expected to reach 500,000 vehicles a year after 2010, roughly one-tenth of total sales.

(more)

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080521/bs_nm/honda_dc

:scared:

There's some confusion in the quotes, I think. The 'big' news from Honda is that they've gotten the additional cost of their IMA hybrid platform under $2000 per car. That translates to the 2,000,000 yen. The entire car would be on the order of 20,000,000 yen or so (or about $20,000 US, which would make it the cheapest available hybrid in the US.)

Honda was challenged by it's American arm to make the equivalent of a VW Beetle - a "people's car" type hybrid that almost any new car buyer could afford. This is the result of that effort, and I think they've developed the car in less than 3 years, IIRC - it might be two, but that'd be astoundingly quick.

What you see in the picture should be very close to the final result that arrives in the dealership.

And the base model cost $1,970.50. Damn, now $1,970.50 won't buy half a Segway!

so that's just under $20,000. I travelled to Japan often back in the 70s and 80s when things were stable, the rate was almost right around 300:1

Not now.
:shrug:

Seven-grand is cheap, nine-grand is cheap.

Twenty grand pays off a quarter of the remaining mortgage on my home.

time affording a twenty grand car - that is why you see so many old cars on the road.

Crazy but true.

:rofl:, so I won't :cry:

Your own f_____g grave!!! To Rick Wagoner and Frank Luntz ("Putz" is more like it) you are two awesome CEOs.......if this was the late sixties or early seventies.

This is just unreal!! The Big Three had the technology BUT totally ignored it.
Many years ago my father worked at a GM assembly plant in Framingam, Massachusetts. A faithful union man, even when he switched to construction when I was very young. I often wonder what he would think of his former industry in light of recent events if he was still with us.

Thinking it over, I tend to think he would shrug his shoulders and simply say "Serves em right."

but is it truly "better"? :shrug:

Inquiring minds would like to know.....

that have Civic Hybrids. I currenlty own an 11 year old Civic that gets 31-33 mpg in the city. According to Consumer Reports the hybrid should get 37 mpg. The mechanic told me he has a customer who's Civic Hybrid is only getting 26 mpg and Honda hasn't been very helpful about correcting the problem.

I look all through some of the articles and couldn't find it listed.

Probably part of the Public Relations suspense-building effort. Keep you watching for that little tidbit of info. This article makes a claim that the non-hybrid Fit model gets 30 MPG, it seems the inference is that the hybrid will be higher.

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat/archives/2008/05/hybrid_honda_fi.html

Honda's old CVCC (internal combustion only) from the late 70s got almost 40 MPG.

I like its apparently big diameter wheels, they're good for potholes and poor roads, but a little more difficult to make lightweight versus smaller diameters.

I thought that was going to be their new small hybrid. And the quote above makes it sound like it's already out there, but I couldn't find it on http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/environment.aspx

edit to add - found their future cars page:
http://automobiles.honda.com/future-cars/

The Fit hybrid is a different car. This is a 'hybrid-only' model (like the Insight was, and the Prius is). Focus groups showed that buyers wanted to be 'recognized' in their hybrid, so Honda went with a dedicated platform for this car. It's code-named 'Global Small Hybrid' for now, and is supposed to be marketed as direct competition to the Prius. Mileage should be in the area of 55-60mpg, according to estimates I read. Of course, by 2009-10, Toyota will have Prius III ready to go, with 12 mile electric-only range, 5% better fuel economy, and plug-in capability.

There's also another model that will come to the US - a 'sport hybrid'. Reminiscent of the old CR-X back in the late 80's - early 90's. That'll make 3 hybrid platforms for Honda, including the Civic Hybrid, which I have one of. If the Fit Hybrid is sent over here, that would make 4 eventual lines.

At $19K and change, I think this car pictured would be the cheapest hybrid available in the US, the way things stand now. And Honda doesn't typically have the option packages that Toyota does, so the pricing shouldn't go up by much, even if they put out more than 1 trim line.

In any case, I'm hoping there will be a nice affordable hybrid when my current Honda gives up the ghost.

If you can hold out for about 9 months, you should be able to get one - but you'll need to time it right, and expect to pay list if you need one right away.

These will be built in Japan, just like all of Honda's other hybrids - there's a hybrid expansion line being built in the Suzuka plant now. Which means supplies will be short at first, and you'll have to wait longer to get them than if they were built in the US.

:toast: :hi:

...

a more environmentally friendly option than this Honda or the Prius. You should read up on it.

It is being made in Detroit.

It's going to get great mileage, because they'll all be sitting on the lot.

Environmentally friendly doesn't mean jack if nobody's buying them. And at that price, nobody will.

Edit: I'll grant that it's a good concept, but even at a savings of $2,000 per year on fuel, it would take ten years of ownership to pay off the difference between a Volt and most of the less-expensive hybrids that will be hitting the market next year.

we won't be able to buy any.
I'll be 82 by then anyway, either will have a motorcycle or be too old to drive and won't give a shit anymore.
Nice to see them right on top of things, though.
mark

That is one ugly car. What's with the supersized wheels? Not just large wheels, but friggin' huge wheels. They just look silly.

Your post made me look at the picture again - that's the sport hybrid concept that's shown there. Those wheels won't make it to the light of day - once you start getting past 17", forget about going fast (or saving gas). At that point, it's just 'bling'. Good catch.

I haven't seen a picture or even a sketch of the low-cost (ok, relatively speaking) hybrid yet, but apparently, it's going to take some cues from the FCX Clarity (hydrogen fuel cell car) that Honda's started leasing in Cali.

and put the rest of your money in oil futures. (Sweat and shift-5 speed no air conditioning).

the US of gluttony?