If there has to be a future, it has to be green. Honda seems to have taken this future-fad quite seriously and is here to make its concern for the environment felt with Honda Civic Hybrid. I read a very interesting comment somewhere that hybrids are anti-status status symbols. This could be quite true for India too considering celebs like Cameron Diaz and Leonardo Di Caprio drive hybrids, though they drive Toyota’s Prius, Civic Hybrid’s only arch rival.
Coming to which, in international markets, Prius might pass for an “ugle duckling” but offers the smoothest hybrid performance. This is because Prius’ gas motor and electric motor are fused with different points in transmission while Civic Hybrid’s gas and electric motors are twinned together and then hooked to transmission.
In India though, if you think Nature, think Civic Hybrid. But the reports don’t encourage one to go grab this one. Sure, this car is farthest from the mental image of hybrids that we generally have and is a stunner but the mileage-on-the-pages is way different from the mileage-on-the-streets. The bonnet is packed with an 8-valve, 4-cylinder SOHC, i-VTEC engine which produces 110-horsepower.
While the cause is celebrated and worthy of recognition, we are confused as to what would Civic Hybrid mean to its Indian customers! Will it be a practical choice? Or a utopian dream lost its thunder midway? Look out for this space…
Wanted:
1. Launch date in India
2. On-road price
3. Fuel efficiency in city conditions with A/C On
4. Power (in BHP) and Torque
5. Weight (Power-to-weight ratio)
14.2 kmpl should be the fuel efficiency.
the amount of bank balance setback should be 18-20 lakhs.
launch date can be anytime in the fourth quarter.
power in BHP should be 111bhp.
There you go.
Cheerios.
Slow and steady wins the race. But how about a 200 kmph dash to the finish line..?