With sales of the Honda Insight below the target of 90,000 annual units, Honda is now considering offering two additional hybrids that would undercut the price of the Insight.
There are no details at this time as to what the models may be, or what vehicle they could be based on, or even a time frame for their launch, but yesterday Honda President Takeo Fukui spoke with the Asani Shimbun newspaper and told reporters that the company was considering adding additional cheaper hybrids to their lineup.
The two additional hybrids would join the lineup of the Insight, the Civic Hybrid, the Accord Hybrid, the upcoming CR-Z Hybrid, and the Fit Hybrid scheduled for late 2010. The Fit Hybrid may be one vehicle that the Honda president is hinting at as a cheaper hybrid offering, but no clarification was made in regards to that model. If the Fit is included, then Honda plans to offer one additional model price below the Insight, if it's not included than we could expect to see two more low priced hybrid offering from the company.
The low priced hybrid segment is faring well in today's lackluster economy and Honda aims to get the most out of it. Though the Insight will fall short of sales targets this year, the sales are still strong overall in the weak economy where selling any vehicle has become difficult.
In the future, raising gas prices may cause a shift towards the purchase of hybrid models and it appears as though Honda is getting ready for more hybrid buyers. They will soon have a full lineup of hybrid vehicles to meet the needs of various buyers. From sporty cars to family sedans, Honda offers it all.
Source: Edmunds.com
