By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com
October 30, 2007 Spanish
Honda is planning to take on the Toyota Prius with a new hybrid priced for less than the Honda Civic Hybrid.
The car will go on sale in 2009 and Honda will market the sedan as a dedicated hybrid with no gasoline-powered version. The new Honda hybrid will seat four to five people and carry a wedge-shaped design.
The price will be less than the Civic Hybrid but more than the Honda Fit subcompact.
Honda will not disclose if the new hybrid will use the lithium ion battery of the future or the nickel hydride batteries common in hybrids now.
Honda hopes for worldwide sales of 200,000 units for the new hybrid.
The Japanese automaker is also considering a hybrid model based on the CR-Z, a small, sporty hybrid which is on display at the Tokyo Auto Show. There is no timeline for the new sports car.
Honda predicts automakers will increasingly test the market for hybrid sports cars because the cars allow for high torque and quick acceleration.
