It is widely known that Honda who first brought the "hybrid" to the US has failed to win over as many hearts as the Toyota Prius. Sales of the Toyota Prius have far outsold Honda's current hybrid lineup. Well Honda hopes to change that in 2010.
In 2010 Honda is going to release a new hybrid model that will not share its body with any other Honda vehicles, just like Toyota's formula for the Prius. Honda has stated that the new hybrid model is going to beat the Prius not only on price but on fuel efficiency. It will be smaller than the current Civic hybrid.
Spy photographers have caught an interesting test mule testing in the desert. At first glance the test mule looked like the Japanese Airwave, but upon closer examination it was obvious that this was not the case. The prototype features the headlamps and front clip from the Fit/ Jazz. IN addition the dash is also from the Fit.
Internal sources have confirmed that this prototype is actually a test mule for Honda's new Prius fighter. Honda hopes to sell 200,000 of the hybrids worldwide when it debuts in 2009.
Click below to see the full photos.
Full Story: Temple of VTEC
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Comments (19)
I like the fact that they didn't slope the back down like the Prius. Should make it very space efficient. Nothing like being able to haul a lot of stuff when necessary and still getting great mileage.
Posted by Biil Owens | September 13, 2007 12:17 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 12:17
Not necessarily true. The article says this is a test mule with a modified body of an Asia only small people mover. I would bet that the true final styling will look nothing like this.
Posted by Darmok | September 13, 2007 1:00 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 13:00
I wish they would make a car than ran off peanut butter!
Posted by Luke Duke | September 13, 2007 1:12 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 13:12
screw hybrids already.. make a car that uses fuel that is DIRT CHEAP and the consumer can provide virtually FREE or at ultra-low cost.
Put BIG OIL OUT OF BUSINESS. PERIOD.
.. and don't give me this crap about how expensive it is to research/produce.
Posted by f_k the oil companies | September 13, 2007 1:38 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 13:38
Ah dude, you are on torqure report, not moveon.org.
Mkay?
Posted by zippy | September 13, 2007 1:41 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 13:41
As my current car ages, I am sure if I can wait that long for this Honda. But it looks promising. A serious competition against Prius will be good for us consumers and will force advance technologies to be implemented faster and cheaper. Overall, it is a win-win situation.
Gotta love the capitalist society.
Posted by Jerry | September 13, 2007 2:06 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 14:06
I've heard a rumor that while the Prius is better on the consumer's wallet, that overall during it's lifetime it pollutes many times what a Hummer does. I haven't done thorough research, but I've been told that it's due to the manufacture/disposal and relative short life of the batteries.
Posted by ms | September 13, 2007 3:46 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 15:46
I have also heard, although am not sure if its true, that the Prius' batteries are more harmful to our planet than a Hummer is (yes I ended a sentence with a preposition, sue me). It has something to do with the heavy metals used in the batteries and the amount of environmental damage associated with mining them as well.
Posted by gm0n3y | September 13, 2007 4:02 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 16:02
There is an article about the Prius vs. Hummer argument in the Opinion Section of this site.
Posted by kent | September 13, 2007 4:09 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 16:09
I have heard, but done no research myself, (but it came via email so it must be true) that I can get viagra at no cost to me in my new home with 0% down while being amazed at the size of my new "unit" with girls that have been trying to get in touch with me from my past.
Of course that might all be speculation/made up/BS/etc....
What might be better use of my time, is to try to do what I can about the issues I know are reasonably likely (like if I use less gas, I will produce less emissions) and not loose too much sleep over those that I can't really affect and have no basis in a fact that I can put credence in (like is it more environmentally unsound to pull 6800 lbs of metal/plastic out of the ground and make it into a hummer, or less than half that for the Prius 2765 + the contents of the batteries).
Rob
BTW. I drive neither!
Posted by Rob | September 13, 2007 4:36 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 16:36
Well the hummer H2 and H3 are some of the worst cars ever made (then again, that can be said about most of GM's output) Someone should compare the Prius to an actual car. I mean a real car. Skoda Octavia TDI anyone?
Posted by Andri | September 13, 2007 6:41 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 18:41
That article that came out on the Prius being more polluting than the Hummer is complete BS most likely driven by an anti-environmental agenda. The article cites all the damage done to the environment by the Canadian smelter that supplies the nickel for the battery. That smelter plant is a hundred years old and the damage was done before environmental regulations were in place. In the energy balance between the two vehicles, the article counts the cost to ship the Prius battery but not all the extra fuel that will need to be shipped for the Hummer. The article also assumes the Prius life is only 100K miles, the life of the battery, not the car. It assumes the car is junked then. It also assumes the Hummer will last 300k miles. Very biased article. Any scientist for engineer would find it full of holes.
Posted by Eric | September 13, 2007 7:57 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 19:57
A quick check of snopes.com didn't offer any insight into the Prius vs Hummer debate.
Posted by Tom Underhill | September 13, 2007 8:21 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 20:21
For the ultimate in gas mileage, try walking somewhere or riding your bike instead of driving. Check this out, walking or riding your back uses zero gallons of gas. Better mileage than the prius if you ask me.
Posted by CS | September 13, 2007 10:45 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 22:45
correct copy, I meant to say bike not back
For the ultimate in gas mileage, try walking somewhere or riding your bike instead of driving. Check this out, walking or riding your bike uses zero gallons of gas. Better mileage than the prius if you ask me.
Posted by CS | September 13, 2007 10:50 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 22:50
this site is about cars. not bikes and fitness.
Posted by hylowa | September 13, 2007 11:24 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 23:24
Wishing for a diesel hybrid.....
Posted by Jeff | September 13, 2007 11:46 PM
Posted on September 13, 2007 23:46
Some thoughts:
1. Prius vs Golf Diesel: Golf has lower 'integral consumption' eg KWH's used. (Germany's Auto, Motor und Sport)
2. Prius is 'new' technolgy, and just as with the i-phone, early adoptors are guiny-pigging the product (ok, they are guiny-pigs at Apple).
3. But at least the roadmap of Prius leads to something, whereas the roadmap of Hummer leads to Irak.
Posted by rene | September 14, 2007 10:43 AM
Posted on September 14, 2007 10:43
What's with the size?
Why can't we get small hybrids?Who said cars have to be big?
The way I see it the size of the average American ass is to blame for global warming.
Example:
"Like get out of here! I can't drive this small sensible,environmentally friendly car. Of course I care about the environment, but I care more about how small this big old gas guzzler will make my ass look."
It's either that or the average size of the American dick...
Example:
"I can't buy this small sensible environmentally friendly car. I have to make up for the tiny size of my fugstickle by driving the biggest car I can find on the market, so that chicks can think I am a real man."
Everybody else is making cars smaller and more sensible. Only American people want bigger and bigger cars.
I don't know... Maybe Americans are just plain stupid...
Posted by jada | September 26, 2007 7:50 AM
Posted on September 26, 2007 07:50