Honda"s Insight into future

Honda has revealed a concept of its affordable family hybrid car, to be displayed at next month"s Paris Motor Show. The production version of the car goes on sale in spring 2009, and Honda claims it will be priced significantly lower than any other hybrid car on the market, making petrol-electric technology accessible to more people. By offering a more affordable hybrid that"s more accessible, Honda hopes to attract a new market section to petrol-electric technology - those car buyers who have never considered a hybrid car before. The actual price will be announced later. The new Insight will be a five-door family hatchback, capable of carrying five people. It will be slightly smaller than the current Honda Civic Hybrid as it is based on a completely new platform. The car takes many exterior styling cues from the FCX Clarity, Honda"s hydrogen-powered fuel cell car, which is currently being leased to customers in the United States. The control unit and battery for the IMA system are mounted beneath the boot space to give the Insight both a low centre of gravity and the practicality of a conventionally-powered hatchback. Honda claims that the Insight has a unique function to assist more fuel efficient driving, thus helping drivers to maximise their real fuel consumption. Honda aims to sell 200,000 Insights a year, globally. Over the next few years, the company will also launch a sporty hybrid (based on CR-Z), a Jazz Hybrid and a new Civic Hybrid. With these four hybrid cars, Honda plans to sell over 500,000 hybrids globally per year. It expects that 10 per cent of global sales will be hybrid by 2010.