Honda plans to introduce an entry-level hybrid in 2009

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Hot on the heels of Toyota's announcement that they'll be streamlining hybrid production and offering every vehicle in its lineup with the gas-electric option, a Honda sales exec has confirmed that beginning in mid-2009, a new hybrid will be launched.

Production is expected to be around 200,000 per year, which is a substantial sum considering that Toyota's popular Prius sold 186,000 units across the globe in 2006. The pricing of the yet-to-be-named Honda hybrid is planned to be below the current Civic hybrid and styling will supposedly be heavily influenced by the Remix concept that debuted in LA last November.

In the same Automotive News article, Ken Keir, managing director of Honda UK, said that production of a hybrid sports coupe is forthcoming and it won't look anything like the Small Hybrid Coupe concept that was unveiled in Geneva. To quote Keir, "... it will be much more like the Remix sporty small car concept show at the Los Angeles auto show in November – although the design has already moved on a lot since then." Considering the Small Hybrid Coupe concept was met with (ahem) less than glowing reviews, such styling revisions bode well for this new Honda.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]
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