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Honda's new hybrid-only Prius competitor will be sold in the U.S., Japan and Europe starting in early 2009. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/AUTO01/808130473/1148)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/508/FCX.jpgDetroit News - Aug 13, 2008

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich . -- A top Honda Motor Co. executive said Wednesday the company's new gas-electric hybrid will be priced lower than the Toyota Prius, its prime competitor.

The new five-door car will only be available with a hybrid powertrain. It will be smaller than Honda's Civic and also will be priced less than a hybrid gas-electric version of the Civic, said Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.

Speaking to reporters at an industry seminar in Traverse City, Colliver said the new hybrid will be launched in April 2009.

We're targeting sales of 100,000 units of this new vehicle in North America," he said in a speech at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.

The Civic hybrid starts at $22,600, while the Prius has a base price of $21,500.

Colliver said Honda wants to make the hybrid affordable to a new generation of buyers, but it is not specifically trying to match Prius sales. Toyota sold more than 181,000 Priuses last year, and so far this year it has sold more than 106,000…http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/AUTO01/808130473/1148

Check out this rendering of the possible final look of the 2010 global hybrid: http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/KORSHondaHybrid/1003171363

I believe it will look even more like the FCX than that. The photos of the disguised vehicle looked like they were covering up some shapes in the rear that looked strikingly similar to the FCX's rear, which I much prefer to the Prius. I still would rather have a 2-door, so I hope they will make an announcement about the CRZ soon.

Check out this rendering of the possible final look of the 2010 global hybrid: http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/KORSHondaHybrid/1003171363


Nice! I have high hopes for this car. It is on my short list.

Smaller than the Civic? So it sounds like we're talking about something similar in size and weight to a Fit!

The artist's rendering makes it look Prius-like in overall shape, although somewhat wider in track and a bit lower in height. I'm already drooling over this as a replacement for my current '02 Accord!

It will be smaller than Honda's Civic and also will be priced less than a hybrid gas-electric version of the Civic, said Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.

Sweet! That's perfect! Go Honda!

Harry

Should be a verrry interesting next year or two. Honda and Toyota battle and the choices get better for us. :cool:

It seems to me that Honda's "mystery" is going to be a home run.What's not to like about a pretty, efficient, $20k hybrid that gets 45 MPG or higher? It would be ausome if the mystery hybrid also inherited the instrument cluster from the FCX.