Honda Set To Unveil New Prius Fighter

Honda has an impeccable reputation for quality and fuel economy, but when it comes to selling hybrid and electric vehicles, it has never done as well as rival Toyota for reasons that are hard to grasp.

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But the Japanese brand is going to take another whack at it when it introduces a new five-passenger vehicle at next month’s North American International Auto Show called “Insight,” the same name the company used for a previous slow-selling hybrid.

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The original Honda Insight was an oddball looking two-door hybrid that actually came to market before Toyota’s Prius. But the car was neither designed, nor marketed as well as Toyota’s hybrid juggernaut, despite the vehicle’s eye-popping 70 mpg fuel economy. The Prius has become the best selling hybrid in the world.

While total auto sales in 2018 are projected to be lower in part because there is an avalanche of three-year old pre-owned cars hitting the used-car market this year, the market for electric and hybrid vehicles is expected to climb to record levels, according to Edmunds.com. The car-buying and research website projects that such vehicles will account for 4.4% of new-vehicle sales, up from 3.2% this year.

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According to Honda, the four-door, five-passenger car will employ a two-motor hybrid system, and has been tailored to mainstream tastes. The company also says that it’s fuel economy will be very competitive with other similar hybrids. The fuel economy of the Prius Eco is 56, while the standard model gets 52 mpg.

“With its sophisticated styling, dynamic stance, ample interior space and best-in-class performance, the all-new Insight embodies Honda’s approach to creating electrified vehicles without the typical tradeoffs,” said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of Automobile Sales and general manager of the Honda Division.

Honda says it intends to make two-thirds of the new vehicles it sells at least partly electric by 2030. That objective is in line with fuel economy standards in Europe, China and the European Union.