Honda to release dedicated hybrid car in November 2018

According to the report, Honda recently revealed its plan for 2018 to its dealerships in Japan. This plan included a "New Hybrid Private Vehicle" (translated). This model has an electric motor combined with a 1.5-litre direct injection engine based on the Honda Civic. There is also a possibility of the HEV adopting a two-motor hybrid system.

The car's transmission is a newly developed CVT which sends power to the front wheels. The new Honda hybrid car will arrive as a spiritual successor to the Honda Insight. Honda will not use the Insight name for the HEV, though, because of the old model's poor image. The new dedicated hybrid car, with a width of around 1,750 mm, will ride on the tenth generation Honda Civic's platform, but utilise a new material for weight reduction and a new undercarriage component. It will have a drive feel like a completely different model.

Honda may launch the new dedicated hybrid as a completely different model instead of a Honda Civic variant. That would allow it to create a family of compact electrified vehicles in the C-segment, with PHEV and EV variants rolling out at a later date. The company already has a trio of eco-friendly vehicles (FCV, PHEV and EV) in the D-segment, selling under the second-gen Honda Clarity family.