"Honda Fit Hybrid: Sooner? Or Later?" Green Car Advisor

Honda Fit Hybrid: Sooner? Or Later?

There's a Dow Jones International wire service article circulating today that quotes an unidentified spokesman for Honda Motor Co. in Japan as saying that the company intends to launch a gas-electric hybrid version of its popular Fit subcompact sometime in the upcoming 2010-2011 fiscal year.

If true, it is pretty dramatic illustration of how effective government fuel economy mandates can be in pushing carmakers to speed up introduction of fuel-efficient models. It was just last September, after all, that American Honda spokesman Sage Marie told us it would be years until introduction of a hybrid model of the Fit.

That, however, was before President Obama accelerated U.S. fuel efficiency standards to require automakkers' passenger car fleets to average 39 miles per gallon on the CAFE rating scale (27 mpg on the EPA rating scale) by 2015.

We can't vouch for the accuracy of the Dow Jones report because it also says Honda will follow the Fit hybrid in 2012 with a hybrid sports car based on its CR-Z concept (left), and that's not the case.

Honda already has set next year -2010 - for introduction of the CR-Z hybrid and has said that the Fit hybrid will follow it, not come before, says American Honda spokesman Chis Martin.

Still, that time-line doesn't make the wire service report wrong on the Fit: Introduction of a Fit hybrid in the first quarter of 2011 would still put it in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Whenever a hybrid Fit does appear, it is likely - given the 41 per gallon EPA fuel economy rating for the larger, heavier Honda Insight hybrid - to come in with fuel efficiency numbers closer to 50 mpg.

That would help Honda, which already has one of the most fuel-efficient fleets in the industry, get closer to satisfying the U.S. demand for a passenger car fleet average fuel economy of 39 mpg by 2016 (Honda's car fleet averages about 36 mpg now.)

There's no pricing for a gas-electric Fit, either. But the company has said that it wants to get the cost of the gas-electric powertrain system for the car down into the $1,000-$1,500 range.

If that's the case, figure somewhere in the $18,000-$21,000 range for a hybrid Fit, given the $14,726-$18,960 price range for conventional models this year and the tendency of automakers to equip - and price - their hybrids well above the base trim level of the conventional model.

Whether early 2011 or later - and sooner would be better as far as we're concerned - we welcome both new Honda hybrids. They'll help ratchet up competition in the segment and that can only be good news for consumers.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor