Honda's Little Hybrid that Might
Despite the slick ad campaigns and celebrity endorsements for hybrid cars, industry buzz about this auto segment has dampened considerably in recent months. Some complain the gas-and-electric combination engines that power hybrid versions of the Lexus RX400h sedan or Honda's Accord are really designed to ramp up engine performance and don't deliver much in the way of fuel efficiency.
Others gripe that the hefty sticker price attached to most hybrid models -- they typically cost $3,000 to $4,000 more than straight gasoline engines -- means their financial efficiency is nothing to shout about either.
So industry speculation that Honda may soon introduce an affordable subcompact hybrid with killer fuel efficiency has people paying close attention. It could constitute a breakthrough launch in a car segment in need of a credibility boost with the car-buying public. The Japanese auto maker may come forward with a hybrid version of its popular Fit subcompact in 2007, according to a recent report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), Japan's leading business daily. Honda declined to comment, but industry analysts are taking the report seriously.
HYPER ECONOMY. For one thing, a gas-electric version of the Fit -- or Jazz as it's called in Europe -- would likely deliver big-time on fuel efficiency. The straight gasoline-burning versions of the Fit, which will be introduced in the U.S. in April, offer a 1.5-liter engine, while in other markets, 1.2-liter and 1.3-liter versions are available. The Nikkei reports Honda is planning an even smaller 1-liter engine version for the hybrid, which should deliver fuel economy similar to the Toyota Prius: average 55 miles per gallon.
"This will be Honda's hyper-fuel economy option," says Kurt Sanger, an analyst at Macquarie Securities in Tokyo. That would certainly mark a change from some recent additions to the hybrid pantheon. The new Lexus GS450h hybrid, which goes on sale later this year, will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, but will have about half the fuel efficiency of the Prius. Similarly, Honda's top-of-the-range hybrid Accord, which commands a $3,000 premium, averages about 28 miles per gallon.
Perhaps more important, the hybrid version of the Fit won't be a budget buster. The Nikkei reckons it will cost around $11,800 in Japan -- just $1,700 more than a conventional Fit. That makes it considerably cheaper than Honda's new, larger Civic hybrid. That model went on sale in the U.S. last year for $21,000.
BusinessWeek
Others gripe that the hefty sticker price attached to most hybrid models -- they typically cost $3,000 to $4,000 more than straight gasoline engines -- means their financial efficiency is nothing to shout about either.
So industry speculation that Honda may soon introduce an affordable subcompact hybrid with killer fuel efficiency has people paying close attention. It could constitute a breakthrough launch in a car segment in need of a credibility boost with the car-buying public. The Japanese auto maker may come forward with a hybrid version of its popular Fit subcompact in 2007, according to a recent report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), Japan's leading business daily. Honda declined to comment, but industry analysts are taking the report seriously.
HYPER ECONOMY. For one thing, a gas-electric version of the Fit -- or Jazz as it's called in Europe -- would likely deliver big-time on fuel efficiency. The straight gasoline-burning versions of the Fit, which will be introduced in the U.S. in April, offer a 1.5-liter engine, while in other markets, 1.2-liter and 1.3-liter versions are available. The Nikkei reports Honda is planning an even smaller 1-liter engine version for the hybrid, which should deliver fuel economy similar to the Toyota Prius: average 55 miles per gallon.
"This will be Honda's hyper-fuel economy option," says Kurt Sanger, an analyst at Macquarie Securities in Tokyo. That would certainly mark a change from some recent additions to the hybrid pantheon. The new Lexus GS450h hybrid, which goes on sale later this year, will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, but will have about half the fuel efficiency of the Prius. Similarly, Honda's top-of-the-range hybrid Accord, which commands a $3,000 premium, averages about 28 miles per gallon.
Perhaps more important, the hybrid version of the Fit won't be a budget buster. The Nikkei reckons it will cost around $11,800 in Japan -- just $1,700 more than a conventional Fit. That makes it considerably cheaper than Honda's new, larger Civic hybrid. That model went on sale in the U.S. last year for $21,000.
BusinessWeek
posted by Ottawa Gas Prices | 10:05 AM
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