The 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell made its North American debut this month at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.

It will go on sale in Japan in early 2016, followed by a U.S. launch later in the year.

That will make it the third current production fuel-cell vehicle sold here, after the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell and Toyota Mirai.

DON'T MISS: Honda Clarity On Sale Late In 2016; Plug-In Hybrid To Get 40 Miles Of Range

First revealed at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the Clarity is a five-seat, four-door sedan with styling heavily influenced by Honda's recent pair of fuel-cell concept cars.

As Toyota did with the Mirai, Honda apparently isn't shy about using the Clarity's styling to advertise its fuel-cell powertrain.

Honda boasts that said powertrain--including the fuel-cell stack and electric motor--is compact enough to fit entirely under the hood.

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Hydrogen storage tanks are located under the rear seat and between the rear wheels at the front of the trunk. There's a lithium-ion battery pack in the floor, too.

The electric motor produces 174 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, which can get the Clarity from 0 to 60 mph in about 9 seconds, Honda says.

Honda also claims a range of 434 miles, as measured on the Japanese testing cycle.

ALSO SEE: 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Sedan: Live Photos, More Details From Tokyo

The Japanese cycle is appreciably more optimistic than the U.S. EPA testing cycle, but the Clarity could still achieve around 300 miles in EPA testing.

The Clarity's platform will also serve as the basis for dedicated battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models announced by the Honda earlier this year.

The company plans to launch both models in 2018. There have even been rumors that the fuel-cell car, battery-electric car, and plug-in hybrid will be variants of the same model.

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Honda is aiming at an electric range of 40 miles for the plug-in hybrid, and for sustained electric operation at higher speeds.

The new plug-in will also use a hybrid system almost entirely different from that in the recently-discontinued Accord Plug-In Hybrid.

MORE: 2018 Honda Plug-In Hybrid To Offer 40-Mile Range, Use Fuel-Cell Vehicle's Platform

Using the Clarity platform for the plug-in hybrid and battery-electric car will allow Honda to amortize the fuel-cell cars development costs with higher-volume models.

Honda only plans to sell about 200 fuel-cell cars in the first year, but the other two models could sell in the thousands globally.

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