Honda Civic Hybrid Expectations

Honda. Honda is the most fuel efficient and green automaker in the world. PERIOD.

Yes, Toyota has the best selling Prius hybrid car, but Toyota also offers a number of very fuel inefficient automobiles. Nonetheless, Toyota is the second greenest automaker and is taking the automotive world by storm with its Hybrid Synergy Drive, which Toyota has added to the Highlander hybrid, the Lexus RX400h, and is about to add to the Camry hybrid.

So what has happened to Honda hybrid cars?

While Honda was a hybrid car leader, Honda Corporation did not accurately assess the importance of the hybrid car market.

For example, the Honda Insight Hybrid is and always will be a niche vehicle. The Honda Accord hybrid is a performance hybrid, not a hybrid designed for fuel efficiency. The Honda Civic, on the other hand, has always been a fuel efficient automobile. Still, in terms of hybrid efficiency, the Civic hybrid just isn't up to the same level as the Prius hybrid.

Well, all that could change with the new Civic hybrid.

According to MotorTrend the new Civic hybrid "features a 1.3 litre inline-four engine that employees Honda's intelligent Variable Valve Time and Life Electronic Control (VTEC) system to provide three stages of valve timing (low-rpm, highrpm and cylinder-idle mode) combined with a significantly more compact and efficient Honda Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system."

So what you might ask? Well, according to Honda, the 2006 Civic hybrid should offer "significant improvements in both performance and fuel economy over a similarly equipped 2005 Civic hybrid." Thus, the Civic hybrid could become a serious competitor of the Prius hybrid.

As for me, I can't wait to test drive the Civic hybrid. Hopefully, it will spring Honda back into the role of a hybrid vehicle leader, while creating real competition for the role of hybrid leader.