Honda offers new Insight hybrid priced lower than Toyota Prius

TOKYO, Feb. 5 Kyodo -
Honda Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, said Thursday it is
launching the all-new Insight hybrid car priced lower in Japan than the Prius
made by its bigger rival Toyota Motor Corp.
The Insight gas-electric hybrid, to be put on sale Friday, is priced between
1.89 million yen and 2.21 million yen, against the minimum price of 2.33
million yen for Toyota's Prius.
The Insight gets 30 kilometers per liter of gasoline, compared with 35.5
kilometers for the Prius.
But Honda said the Insight's fuel efficiency can be improved with its fuel
economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System.
The eco-assist system features a speedometer that glows blue when the vehicle
is consuming extra fuel from bursts of acceleration or deceleration and green
when the car is driven more sensibly.
Honda President Takeo Fukui told reporters in Tokyo that the biggest key to the
success of a new hybrid is pricing, amid the current sharp downturn in the auto
industry and changing consumer preferences.
''Our price starting from 1.89 million yen is beyond common sense for
conventional hybrid cars,'' Fukui said.
In an effort to prevent consumers from pulling back before the introduction of
a tax incentive for environmentally friendly cars in April, Honda said it is
considering providing some incentives to those who purchase the new Insight
before then.
Honda aims to sell 5,000 Insight cars per month.
It plans to bring the Insight to Europe and North America in the spring, aiming
to achieve annual global sales of 200,000 units in the near future.
''We will continue to increase the line-up of hybrids and other environmentally
friendly cars from now on,'' Fukui said, adding that the carmaker wants to
contribute to preserving the environment through the diffusion of hybrids.
Meanwhile, Toyota also plans to introduce a revamped Prius in Japan in May and
in other markets thereafter.
==Kyodo
2009-02-05 20:25:39