The Honda CR-Z Hybrid shown in the picture may beat the Prius in terms of performance when it comes to market later this year, but it falls well short of the Prius in terms of fuel efficiency. The Prius can return a whopping 50 mpg in everyday driving while Honda only expects the CR-Z to return mpg numbers in the mid 30s. No problem with that as the CR-Z has a sporty aim and a performance attitude that the Prius can't match. However, Honda is now talking about another hybrid which they say will be a Prius beater in mpgs.
Honda tried to compete with Toyota with the introduction of the new Honda Insight, but sales have fallen off after the initial launch. Furthermore, some owners have complained about real world gas mileage being much lower than the listed numbers. With the falling sales of the Insight, Honda has apparently decided to react swiftly.
Honda is not willing to take a back seats the Toyota and their Prius. According to a report, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito spoke with his research and development group and made them aware of his goals and the company's goals to design a hybrid that is more fuel efficient than the Prius. It's unclear if this upcoming hybrid will be a reworked Insight or a totally new design, but it is certain that Honda wants to be on top.
Honda does have their work cut out for them. The Prius fares much better in terms of sales numbers and fuel efficiency as is reflected in the numbers below.
We will provide additional information about Honda's upcoming efficiency leading hybrid as more information becomes available.
- Insight's 2009 sales: 20,572 MPG Rating 40/43
- Prius's 2009 sales: 139,682 MPG Rating 51/48
Source: Automotive News (login required)
