Late to the High Gas Price Party: Honda Building Prius Clone
Car and Driver has reported on an upcoming as-yet-unnamed Honda hybrid electric vehicle aimed squarely at unseating Toyota as the undisputed king of hybrids.
Although we can’t reproduce the photos here due to copyright issues, suffice it to say that the Honda test model looks almost exactly like a Prius. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery — but in this case Honda appears to have crossed the line to outright copycat.
With the exception of the headlight and taillight shapes, the Honda is a carbon copy.
I mean really, I’d expect the Honda designers to have a bit more creativity.
Check out the original Car and Driver article and pictures.
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July 24th, 2008 at 2:23 am
According to Honda executives last month, the new Honda hybrid will look exactly like their FCX Clarity (their fuel cell car), and not like a Prius clone. They did a good job disguising it I guess.
http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/
July 24th, 2008 at 3:07 am
@ Antonio
Let’s hope that’s true because a complete Prius clone would be a big disappointment.
July 24th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Just make a Fit hybrid already, geez. No need to rip off Toyo.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Yes, but FCX produced in limited quantity and compare this model with the Prius incorrectly. In 2009 Honda promised CRZ hybrid. Sorry for the bad English:)
July 25th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Re the “Late to the Party” headline: If you don’t know what you’re talking about, please stop writing. It’s irresponsible to do otherwise. Honda produced the first hybrid (remember the Insight?), and it has the highest fleet average MPG in the industry. I have no connection to Honda, but it galls me when I see a misinformed, smart-ass comment masquerading as a headline about a company that, unlike Detroit, seems to have a genuine commitment to better gas mileage.
July 25th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Peter, Honda didn’t produce the first hybrid, Toyota did.
Honda did, however, sell the first hybrid in the US, one that got better mileage than the Prius but hasn’t become an icon for a bunch of greenwashed toolbags.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
as much as it looks like a prius, to me they also improved the look a bit by making it a little longer than the prius.
July 27th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Benajamin Jones….
Get your facts straight:
http://news.carjunky.com/alternative_fuel_vehicles/the-history-of-the-hybrid-car-cdfh083.shtml
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I bought the first Honda Insight in my county, it was my first ‘new’ car, and my first Honda. But, as I will never give up my 70 mpg car, I will be less likely to by another Honda, because, first, Honda dealers do not like to ‘deal’ and, secondly, they stopped the production of the Insight.
BAD CALL HONDA, BRING BACK THE INSIGHT!!!!