For automakers hoping to cash in on rising fuel costs, the Toyota Prius is a good benchmark: The funky hatchback has sold more than half a million copies in the U.S. to date. So it’s no surprise that when our spy photographers caught Honda developing and testing its all-new small hybrid, a Prius was parked nearby.
The Honda’s visual similarities to a Prius are marked when seen together. They share an aerodynamically-raked front, stubby tail, and a five-door hatchback layout. Like the Prius, this Honda offers five-passenger seating and plenty of cargo space inside a relatively small body.
When it is introduced in early 2009, the as-yet-unnamed hatch will mark Honda’s second dedicated hybrid (after the late Insight), meaning that it isn’t based on an existing car. The Accord hybrid was killed due to slow sales, attributed partly to the fact that the hybrid didn’t look much different than a regular Accord. The other problem was the Accord hybrid, positioned as a more performance-oriented model, wasn’t much more frugal on gas than a conventional Accord with a four-cylinder, making it hard to justify an extra $6000 for a version with an electric motor. Sales of the Civic hybrid, though better than the Accord, still significantly trail the Prius, which is the undisputed king of hybrids in sales and public awareness.
This time around, Honda is betting big on the idea that a dedicated platform sells hybrids. After all, the Prius’s unique shape is regarded just as much for its fashion status as for its wind-tunnel magic, allowing greenie types to show off their dedication to the environment.
Like the current Civic hybrid, the new car will use an Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system with nickel-metal-hybrid batteries stored under the trunk floor to maximize interior space. Honda says lithium-ion batteries aren’t yet a viable option, although the battery pack is smaller than the Civic’s.
It will be built at Honda’s Suzuka, Japan, plant, which currently builds the Civic hybrid, with capacity ramped up in order to meet anticipated demand for hybrids. Honda expects to sell 200,000 units of its newest hybrid globally, with about half of those coming to the U.S.
The hatchback, which is smaller than the Civic, should arrive in early 2009 as a 2010 model, with a hybrid version of the Fit to follow in 2015. The automaker also plans to put into production the CR-Z hybrid sports car concept shown at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.
Honda plans to sell half a million hybrids per year globally in a few years. But Toyota is also charging ahead, and plans to release the next-generation Prius for 2010, which will reportedly improve on the current car’s 48 mpg city/45 highway EPA fuel-economy ratings.
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