Posted on Wednesday 20 February 2008
The U.S. may be the biggest market for hybrid cars but Honda’s next petrol-electric model will be designed primarily to suit the European market. Both the styling and engineering of the new model, tipped to be a small hybrid sports coupe, will be influenced heavily by European tastes and the car’s final development work will be handled by a team in Offenbach, Germany.
Honda gave us a preview of the car at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show with the unveiling of the CR-Z concept (pictured), and at the following Detroit Auto Show Honda boss Takeo Fukui said a sports coupe based on the CR-Z would enter production in late 2009 alongside two other dedicated hybrid vehicles. Speaking with Automotive News, Honda UK product manager Mark Turner revealed to reporters that the new hybrid sports coupe would only cost about €25,000 and that Honda initially consulted with European designers as far back as 2005.
The next hybrid model from Honda that we will get a preview of is a new global model, which is set to appear in concept form at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Expected to go on sale in 2009 as well, the new global hybrid will be smaller than the current Civic, and will cost roughly two-thirds as much. In Europe, that will translate to a price of €16,000 to €20,000 compared to the Civic Hybrid’s starting price of €23,800.
Both cars will feature a mild hybrid system, using an electric motor to aid a petrol engine and reclaim energy under braking. The only drawback is that mild hybrids can’t drive on electric power alone.
