Honda's Insight: Make Hybrids Affordable!

As environmental concerns encourage the automotive industry towards producing greener than ever automobiles, Honda plans to showcase it's concept called “Insight” at the Paris International Auto Show. The automotive trade event, “Paris Motor Show” will run from October 2 to 19, 2008.

The new Insight Concept has styling features similar to the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and is claimed to be an early look at the highly-anticipated five-passenger hybrid vehicle. It's often the price of hybrids that's cited as the reason for keeping many potential consumers away from purchasing hybrids. See: 11 Exclusive Disadvantages Of Hybrid Cars!. However, Honda's new vehicle going to be up for sale in the U.S., would be priced much below hybrids available today the company has said. Thus making hybrid technology affordabile and accessible. The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999 as America's first gas-electric hybrid car.

The New Vehicle Is Expected To:

• Be at the forefront of fuel efficiency.
• Have a roomy five passenger cabin.
• Be offered as a hatchback with a five-door access.
• Have folding rear seats.
  

Off late car makers in America and Europe have had to lobby against initiatives attempting to make it obligatory for them to manufacture much more fuel efficient vehicles and with minimum emissions. For instance, almost a year back and in US the car makers lobbied Congress against a proposal which would have forced them to achieve a fleet-average fuel consumption 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020. And in Europe German carmakers registered their protest against the European Commission's proposal to impose financial penalties if their fleets emissions were more than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g/km) by 2012, the Economist throws light on the trend.

The dynamics of the automotive industry have changed, and it's best if the auto manufacturers themselves initiate moving towards technologies that are in line with the consumers' demand as well as environmental interests. Which for now seem to have merged pretty much.

Meanwhile the Automobile Buyers' Hunting Ground have also changed, and that it's the Vehicle's Quality, Which Dictates Customer Satisfaction!