Honda to sell low-cost hybrid car in 2007/08: report

[FISH]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireS...&business=true

Feb 21, 2006

TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co. <7267.T> plans to sell a hybrid version of its popular Fit subcompact model globally as early as the business year starting in April 2007, the Nihon Keizai business daily reported on Wednesday.

Japan's third-biggest auto maker aims to sell the Fit hybrid for around 1.4 million yen ($11,790), or about 200,000 yen more than the gasoline-only version, likely making it the world's first hybrid to cost less than 2 million yen ($16,840), the newspaper said.

A spokesman denied the auto maker had made any decision, but added that Honda had the technological wherewithal to mount its hybrid system, which twins an electric motor and a conventional engine to save fuel, on most of its vehicles.

Chief Executive Takeo Fukui has long said the price premium for a hybrid over a gasoline-only car needs to fall below 200,000 yen ($1,680) for the powertrain to go mainstream.

With hybrid systems still costing auto makers — and customers — thousands of dollars, Fukui has said Honda had not made a strategic decision yet to produce the gasoline-electric vehicles in big volumes, unlike rival Toyota Motor Corp. <7203.T>, which has aggressively promoted their proliferation.

A decision to offer a hybrid version of the mass-volume Fit — Honda's best-selling model in Japan and due to debut in the United States soon — would suggest the auto maker is a step closer to committing to the powertrain longer-term.

Honda also sells hybrid versions of its two best-selling cars, the Accord and Civic, at a premium of around 300,000 yen ($2,525). Its hybrid-only Insight coupe was the first gasoline-electric car to be sold in the United States.

Honda is developing a smaller motor and battery to reduce the hybrid's cost and weight, the Nihon Keizai said. It will twin...

Continued:http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireS...&business=true

[johnny smallblock]

This is such a smart move. People expect really high mileage with a hybrid, and that's only really possible with small, light-weight cars. Getting really high numbers gives the whole company a green image.

Notice how toyota rarely mentions the actual mileage their hybrid SUVs get. People remember the overinflated numbers for their Prius and assume the SUVs are the same.

GM: Hybrid Aveo. Or better yet, hybrid diesel Aveo.

[Butz]

GM: Hybrid Aveo. Or better yet, hybrid diesel Aveo.

The possibilities..

[Aerodynamix]

Originally Posted by Butz

The possibilities..

Guess what GM, we've been saying things like this for a while now and what happened? FORD has a diesel-hybrid concept before you even consider it. Now let's add things up: GM-Europe has Opel. Opel has some world-class 4 cylinder diesel engines. GM-NA has Saturn. Saturn is coming out with low-cost hybrid technology...this year I think. Now only if there were some way to have Opel and Saturn work together under a single corporate structure to (quite possibly) produce the world's most fuel efficient vehicles...

[01cavalier]

This would be a great move on their part, especially since the mileage estimates I've seen for the Fit arent really better than the Civic.

[Geotpf]

A twelve thousand dollar hybrid would sell insanely well.

[Whirling_Dervish]

Originally Posted by Aerodynamix

Guess what GM, we've been saying things like this for a while now and what happened? FORD has a diesel-hybrid concept before you even consider it. Now let's add things up: GM-Europe has Opel. Opel has some world-class 4 cylinder diesel engines. GM-NA has Saturn. Saturn is coming out with low-cost hybrid technology...this year I think. Now only if there were some way to have Opel and Saturn work together under a single corporate structure to (quite possibly) produce the world's most fuel efficient vehicles...

BRAVO.

[K-1]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

A twelve thousand dollar hybrid would sell insanely well.

This thing had better get 70+mpg. The Insight was bad enough as a traffic impediment and something even smaller needs to seriously increase the mileage to have any appeal. The 1L engine by itself should get 50+mpg.

[8>4]

Originally Posted by Whirling_Dervish

BRAVO.

I concur.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by K-1

This thing had better get 70+mpg. The Insight was bad enough as a traffic impediment and something even smaller needs to seriously increase the mileage to have any appeal. The 1L engine by itself should get 50+mpg.

Not neccessarily. The Insight was a dud because it only had two seats, so it was a very slow sports car, wildly impractical. Of course, it was never designed to be a high volume vehicle-it was a proof-of-concept thing. The Fit seats five and is a five door. It's about the same size and shape as a Chevy Aveo hatch or the Scion xA. If it gets 50 city 50 highway that will be fine, assuming the price is right. In any case, looks like it won't be twelve grand, at least not here. The normal Fit's base price will be 13 to 14 grand when it comes here (according to Honda's website), so the hybrid Fit will have to be 16 grand-ish when it comes here. That's a bit harder to push, but probably still quite doable.

[SUPERBADD75]

this car would definitely be an incredibly good idea from Honda. a hybrid that the jobless hippies can not only embrace, but afford as well. this would also be a possible choice for parents to buy their kids that travel to college. limited funds would go a lot further if they're getting 50+ mpg. and of course once again GM's watching this from afar. are you paying attention General? get moving on this hybrid stuff!!

[kenman923]

If the Fit is already fuel efficient, why do they need a hybrid version?

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by kenman923

If the Fit is already fuel efficient, why do they need a hybrid version?

Because they think they can make money by selling one?

[johnny smallblock]

Originally Posted by kenman923

If the Fit is already fuel efficient, why do they need a hybrid version?

Because it makes the whole company look good. It gives them a pass for all their inefficient cars and trucks. It's some kind of crazy strategy thing that GM is steering clear of.

[SUPERBADD75]

Originally Posted by johnny smallblock

Because it makes the whole company look good. It gives them a pass for all their inefficient cars and trucks. It's some kind of crazy strategy thing that GM is steering clear of.

no, it's not, and no GM isn't steering clear of that kind of strategy. the HHR is considered an SUV by EPA standards, so its good fuel economy is added into the equation with the rest of the trucks for GM's CAFE requirements. you don't think that's playing a game to make their inefficient trucks look better? do you think that was an accident? besides, what inefficient cars and trucks are you talking about from Honda? the Ridgeline is probably their worst in terms of fuel mileage and it gets 16/22.