Honda revs up for hybrid price war

Honda has given a sneak preview of a concept version of its family hybrid car, which will be on display at the Paris Motor Show next month, and is aiming to crank up a hybrid price war with other car manufacturers.

The full production version, called the Honda Insight, is due to go on sale in spring 2009.

Price has yet to be announced but Honda claims it is the first production hybrid to be sold in Europe and that it will be priced “significantly lower” than any other hybrid car on the market, making it accessible to more people. In fact, Honda is aiming to shift 200,000 of the Insight cars a year worldwide.

Other hybrids planned by Honda over the next few years include a sports car based on the CR-Z, a Jazz hybrid and a new Civic hybrid – and the car maker says 10 per cent of its global sales will be hybrid by 2010. That’s a massive increase on the 10,507 hybrid cars Honda shifted in Europe last year.

Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor says:

“The original Honda Insight launched in 1999, was the pioneer of hybrid technology in Europe and remains an iconic symbol of Honda’s environmental innovation.

“This new Insight will also break new ground by providing an affordable hybrid to an expanded number of customers craving great fuel economy and great value.”