Honda looking to make hybrid cars more affordable

Honda is set on giving the Australian market an affordable hybrid. The launch of the Insight hybrid in Australia follows Japan, Europe and North America but Honda continues to find ways to make the hybrid more attractive and more affordable for Aussie buyers, company representatives told Drive.

Honda Australia aims to sell the Insight with a price tag of around AU$30,000. Honda Australia boss Lindsey Smalley said that if the Australian dollar is still going strongly this time next year, the company will pass that saving on to the consumer.

A comparison with Prius was pointed out but Honda said that it didn’t want to enter that type of pricing territory and that it shouldn’t even be considered a competitor.

Honda America’s environmental spokesman, Todd Mittleman, said that its key points are that it is affordable and fun to drive. He said that while the original Insight was “the ultimate hyper-miler,” this new Insight balances function with driving fun and low price point.