At the moment Honda only has one hybrid car – the Civic IMA – but there’s another one on the way.
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Speaking ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show, Shigeru Takagi, president of Honda Motor Europe, confirmed there would be a second hybrid model on sale within two years – and it will be smaller and cheaper than the current Civic IMA, which starts at GBP16,000.
So how little will it cost to go green? Tagaki will only say the car will be “affordable” but company insiders reckon it will be around GBP14,000.
Though it’s yet to be confirmed, it’s likely the car will be a four-door saloon – a bodystyle that’s popular in America and Japan – rather than a hatchback, popular only in Europe. That could have implications on the success of the model with customers in UK, who traditionally value the practicality a fifth door brings.
Meanwhile, Honda has revealed its all-new 2.2-litre diesel engine (badged i-DTEC and due in the all-new Accord in 2008) will meet the forthcoming Euro 5 emissions legislation. That’s no big surprise, but at a media event before the Tokyo Motor Show the company showed off an oil-burning engine it believes will meet Euro 6 – a standard still in the proposal stage at Brussels and unlikely to be a mandatory requirement before 2014. Honda says it’s mission is to develop a diesel engine that’s as clean as a petrol one.
