The Honda Prius?????? HUH???

[TnTRice]

alright so I was looking at honda news today from world.honda.com and they are talking about their all new "Insight". I thought I was good that Honda was looking at making another hybrid (not just the CR-Z), but when I saw the pictures in the article was I shocked. It looks just like the Toyota Prius. I know someone made the comments earlier when they had sneek peaks at the car while it was still under it's black wraps, but now honda has released the pictures of the car and I thought wow, looks like someone got lazy with design. What do you guys think?

check it out at: Honda Worldwide | September 4, 2008 "Honda to Display Concept Model of All-New Insight Dedicated Hybrid Vehicle Scheduled for Release in 2009 at Paris Motor Show"

[8695Beaters]

Hmm, looks like I was proven wrong. The Insight's downfall was that it was only so useful (only 2 seats, very limited cargo space). The Prius is better as a car but still a hybrid. Took Honda long enough to figure that one out. Still, it does look like a huge rip off the Prius and I would be surprised if Toyota doesn't raise a stink over the design.

[splink48]

I can say that I'm not impressed. I would have expected something better from Honda, not just a prius with a different front end and different badging. Unless they come forth with a better price point than Toyota can come up with, I'd be suprised if they sell many considering that the Prius is selling like mad and they have a longer running history with the Prius....even if people do have problems with them.

[Tomas]

Toyota should sue them. That's embarrassing!

[FiRe_OpTiKz©]

no the 009 Jazz(fit) looks like a prius this looks like last years fit almost

[TnTRice]

to me it looks like someone just got a little lazy behind the drawing board. I like the idea of having a better hybrid, but come on, where is that innovative design Honda is known for?

[jembr325]

Since I'm in Marketing I have to throw in my two cents.

Actually, while I think it does look a little too much like the Prius, copying the Prius design is not entirely bad. The design itself has come to symbolize what a hybrid should be/look like. They probably did some research and found that this was the case.

Unfortunately, companies actually do a lot of research on these things and they provide what will be most saleable to the largest demographic. Thus, a Prius look-alike.

Its not genius in terms of creativity, but it might just be in terms of business sense. My guess is that they will followup with more hybrid variety once they capture Prius marketshare..... just wait.

[TnTRice]

I understand the idea of breaking into the market where others have cornered it, BUT I think they could have done it another way. I personally think it's too much like the prius. I think it will work just fine for Honda, but I'd hope that down the road they might do some major body overhauls. . . . to at least make it look more like their own.

[splink48]

You've got good points Jon and TnT. I really didn't think about that, but since 03 (I think) Honda has made the civic hybrid and had lower (I think) sales than Toyota but that can be attributed to numerous things....one being the premium price that civic hybrids were commanding. If I remember right, the prius started out more expensive than it is now, and dropped as technology advanced and the car became cheaper to manufacture. Honda seemed to pick a price in the beginning of this race when it was expensive to make these vehicles and stay there.....so there's one reason why Toyota has been beating them in the marketplace. Honda may have HAD to make a new vehicle to compete with the Prius.....how's it gonna look if Honda drops the price dramatically on the civic hybrid now? It'd probably raise some eyebrows and have people wondering what happened to the quality or if Honda has just been ripping people off for the last couple of years until now when they decide to get competitive. Then I could see making the new vehicle.

just my 2 cents.