Posts Tagged ‘Toyota Prius’

It’s fair to say that the Honda Insight has not been living up to expectations. Despite excellent fuel economy and a futuristic interior, Honda’s compact hybrid hasn’t done much to dent sales of its major rival, the Toyota Prius.

Honda once boasted a goal of selling 90,000 Insights during the vehicle’s first year on the market but was on track to achieve less than a third of that target by summer’s end.

Though Honda claims the Insight was never intended to compete directly with the Prius, the two hybrids share a windswept, five-door profile and are frequently cross-shopped. The Honda’s 41 mpg rating falls short of the Toyota’s 50 mpg, but the Insight is priced about $2,000 less.

To combat the Insight’s free-falling sales, Autocar reports that Honda will make changes to boost fuel economy. New software will triple the amount of time the hybrid’s start/stop system can leave the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and in the driver-selectable Eco mode.

The current software assumes worst case scenario conditions: five passengers on board in near-tropical levels of humidity. Conditions like these force the Insight’s gasoline-powered engine to fire up after only 30 seconds of rest so that the air conditioner can dehumidify the cabin and keep the windows from fogging. The new software extends the engine-off time to as much as 90 seconds, saving more fuel.

Honda’s new software will no doubt improve the Insight’s mileage in the real world, but it’s unlikely that this change will have a positive impact on the official EPA rating that appears on the Monroney Label window sticker. Those government test procedures require all vehicles to run in default mode, effectively rendering the Eco mode off-limits.

While the Insight’s new software will be nice to have for owners trying to maximize their fuel savings, it’s unlikely to steal many sales away from the popular Prius.

Honda recently announced that it will begin selling a hybrid version of its popular Fit subcompact car in Japan and Europe starting next year. With a starting price of 1.59 million yen ($19,310), the Fit Hybrid will be the most affordable hybrid in Japan. But what about bringing it here to America?

The entry-level Honda has enjoyed great success in the States thanks to a hugely flexible interior and sub-$15k price tag. In reviews on Honk, Fit owners rave about the high fuel economy, EPA rated at 27 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway.

At current exchange rates, the Fit Hybrid would add about $3,000 to the bottom line but would boost fuel economy into the 40 mile-per-gallon range. That’s on par with the Fit’s big brother, the Honda Insight, but still below the 50 mile-per-gallon rating of the best-selling Toyota Prius.

The Fit Hybrid uses the same 1.3-liter hybrid powertrain that’s found in the Insight. On the road, its 98 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque should match up closely to the standard Fit’s 117 horsepower and 106 pound-feet.

Honda so far won’t commit to selling the Fit Hybrid in the US, the obvious fear being that a Fit Hybrid would cannibalize sales from the already slow-selling Insight.

But the longer Honda delays, the more hybrid sales they risk losing to Toyota. And with Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, announcing the company’s intention to be a leader in hybrids and all things green, it doesn’t seem wise for Honda to hesitate.

Let’s hope that Honda chooses to bring this fuel-sipping Fit Hybrid to market before competitors makes them green with envy.

Toyota recently announced new suggested retail prices for its 2011 Prius hybrid. But in a sign of these dark economic times, prices will rise $250 without any changes to equipment levels. Sorry to disappoint but those floor mats will still cost you.

The 2010 Prius is the most popular hybrid on the market today. Its EPA ratings of 51 miles per gallon in the city and 48 on the highway outperform rivals from Honda, Ford, and Volkswagen at the pump and add a green halo to the entire Toyota brand.

But is the 2011 Prius worth another $250?  The new base price of $23,050 increases the gap to its nearest competitor, the $19,800 Honda Insight, and brings the Prius closer to upmarket rivals like the $28,100 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

While an extra $250 may not seem like much when rolled into monthly payments, consider that the amount would buy you over 4,000 miles of driving in your Prius at today’s fuel prices. At the very least, you should insist on those floor mats.

Just in time for Earth Day, Nissan has announced a priority reservation system for their upcoming electric vehicle.  The Leaf’s 115,000 registered fans can secure their place in line nearly a month before the general public is allowed.  Reservations require a $99 placeholder fee that is fully refundable.

Though Tesla was first to market with a modern highway-capable electric vehicle, Nissan has a significant advantage when it comes to price.  The Tesla Roadster starts at $101,500 compared to the Nissan Leaf’s $25,280 (yes, batteries are included).  A federal tax credit of $7,500 is used in both cases to reduce the vehicle’s base price, though additional state and local incentives can reduce the price even further.

Nissan is getting extra creative by preemptively rolling that same $7,500 federal tax credit into a very aggressive lease deal.  Customers will be able to lease a Leaf for 36 months for only $349 per month (with $1,999 down payment).  Three-year leases on Toyota’s Prius range from about $330-$540, depending on the level of optional equipment, putting the Leaf within easy striking distance of the popular hybrid.

The attractive lease deal is a clever move on Nissan’s part because it allows skeptical consumers to try out the Leaf in the real world without the need for a long-term commitment.  If owners find that the 100-mile driving range is too limited, they won’t have to worry about finding an eco-minded buyer to take the car off their hands.

Nissan doesn’t think that demand will slacken, though.  The Japanese carmaker is already hard at work on several new electric vehicles to sell alongside the 5-seat, 90-mile per hour Leaf and has been partnering with state and local governments to develop an extensive network of public recharging sites.

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s CEO, cites research indicating that more than eight percent of automobile owners in Europe, Japan, and the US want for their next vehicles to be powered solely by electricity.  “We are very optimistic,” he said at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year.  “We may have to rush to build capacity for cars and batteries.”

As the 2009-2010 auto show season comes to a close, a few vehicles stand out from the rest.  One of the most significant reveals was the Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept, a fullsize luxury sedan with striking good lucks and a secret weapon.

Revealed to an enthusiastic audience in Detroit, the XTS is expected to go into production later this year as Cadillac’s new flagship sedan, leading a product renaissance that includes the frisky CTS sports sedan and stylish SRX crossover.  It’s built atop GM’s all-wheel drive “Super Epsilon” platform and will replace the slow-selling DTS and STS sedans.

Besides a gorgeous and very modern interior, the XTS features a big surprise under its aggressive hood.  Instead of a burly V8, there’s an advanced plug-in hybrid system attached to a modest V6 engine.

A flagship sedan with this kind of tree-hugging powertrain begs the question: Is green the new color of high-end luxury?

Most times in the auto industry, advanced technology starts up top with the most expensive luxury vehicles and then trickles its way down to more common cars and trucks.  Hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion bucked that trend, though, and put super high fuel economy within reach of almost anyone.

This time it’s the high-end luxury cars that are playing catch up to the mass market entries.  The XTS will be joining a fairly new group of green super sedans that include the Lexus LS600h, Mercedes S400 Hybrid, and BMW ActiveHybrid 7.  Of this elite group, the Cadillac will be the first to use grid electricity to squeeze more miles from every drop of fuel.

Final numbers on the XTS are still pending but none of the other entries are anywhere near as fuel efficient as a Prius.  Are the hybrid powertrains under their respective hoods worthy of their high price premiums or is this just a case of green-washing?