Future Products—Honda Plans for new hybrids and another crossover
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AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 08/15/06, 8:59 am et
Fit: The small 2007 Fit went on sale in April at a base price of $14,400, including the $550 destination charge. The five-door hatchback replaces the Civic as Honda's entry-level car and competes against Toyota's Scion cars, the Chevrolet Aveo and Nissan Versa. The Fit is equipped with a 109-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission. Standard equipment includes side curtain airbags, antilock brakes and an audio system that works with iPod players.
A hybrid version may be offered in 2008 or 2009.
New hybrid: Honda says it will introduce an entry-level, four-door hybrid positioned below the Civic for the 2009 model year. The company says it will wear a new nameplate, but it could be a sedan version of the Fit.
The hybrid may be built at a new Honda plant in Indiana that will begin producing four-cylinder vehicles in 2008. Honda hopes to sell at least 100,000 of the small hybrids annually.
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It makes sense that the hybrid version would be the sedan. It doesn't look like there's room to put large battery packs in the engine comparment, unless they use an even smaller gas engine. And they already had to shrink the gas tank to fit it under the front seats. Adding battery packs would take up too much room for the "flat as Kansas" magic seats in the hatchback.
Of course, this is all just speculation, but the photo of the '08 Fit on the Chinese website looks like a sedan, not a hatchback.
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