Team-BHP - Honda "Civic Hybrid" coming. EDIT : Now launched @ 21.50 lakhs

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 866187)

The Civic hybrid has a 1.3 liter petrol engine (up front) alongwith an electric motor / generator (at the back).

As far as I know, the electric motor is in the front, mated to the engine. The battery pack is in the boot - strapped to the back seat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by santosh911 (Post 866393)

guys, the general consensus is that the Civic Hybrid is too expensive but I feel that is not the issue. Such cars need to be encouraged and its only after people buy lots of them that the price can come down. My message to those lucky people who have 20L to spend, do consider the Hybrid. Proliferation of such cars reduces consumption by 25%. Every drop now counts!

Its the proverbial chicken and egg story isn't it? As long as they are imported, hybrids will cost a bomb and sell in fewer numbers. Make them here, price them right and they will sell more.
The 300-400 people who buy the civic hyrid will be guinea pigs, I feel. Honda is testing the market, establishing its green credentials and in a year or two will come out with a more affordable hybrid. They've already announced plans for an all new hybrid model in 2009. There has been talk for a long time about them plonking the Insight's engine into the Jazz/City. The way oil is going, I expect something on those lines to happen sooner than later.

Hi,
I spotted one on the road between Sec 15A and DND toll road in Noida yesterday night. I was white with a temporary number on it. And no it wasn't a test vehicle, cause it had a showroom temp number and a family in it. You can ID a hybrid cause it says so using a bold blue sticker on the side of the vehicle.

I guess that Honda is gonna be the first one to offer hybrids in India.cheers:

Am on the lookout for it again so that I can snap a pic and send it across.

Sorry mate, I have to completely disagree with you. Honda hybrid is a proven technology for many years and no way they have to test again in India. I know few manufacturers test their product by selling them to people and then fixing the problems reported. But not Honda. :thumbs up

You should blame the high cost on the Govt's import duty, even on a hydrid :Shockked:

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarScream (Post 868100)

The 300-400 people who buy the civic hyrid will be guinea pigs, I feel. Honda is testing the market, establishing its green credentials and in a year or two will come out with a more affordable hybrid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo (Post 868699)

You missed the point; Starscream meant that Honda is test *marketing* the product. Therefore, its not the product or technology that is being tested; it is the market feasibility.

Like Honda, I am very keen to see how the market reacts to a hybrid as also to the pricing.

Assumption 1: Hybrid gives 30kmpl (thats what the Honda showroom guy claimed)
Fact 1: My Civic gives me 10.6 kmpl, rounding this off to 10kmpl (Mine is 1.8 S- MT. Lets discount the fact that I am comparing MT with Hybrids AT - I think 30 kmpl is a bit high for the Civic)
Assumption 2: 100,000 Km in a period of 5 years.
Assumption 3: Avg cost of fuel is taken at 70 rupees per liter. (Adjusting for future hikes in petrol over 5 years)

Amount spent on Hybrid: (100,000/30)*70 = 233333
Amount spend on a non Hybrid Civic : (100,000/10)*70 = 700,000

Difference: Rs 4,66,667

Current price of Civic 1.8 V AT: 15 L
Proposed price of Hybrid: 20L

So for Hybrid we actually pay around 45K more for a Hybrid car?
Even if the hybrid car is priced at 18L, still the savings as per this calculation would only be around 1,66,667 over a period of 5 years which is definitely offset by the additional EMI you would have to pay.

Makes absolutely no sense to me. Further this is going to be available only as AT - makes it a no brainer to me.

FYI, going for Hydrid is NOT to save money (at this point of time). Its a way to show your concern for environment. :thumbs up

If you want to get into math, I have a suggestion: Get a M800 for 2L and save 10L (compared to Civic MT). So you will have a car and 10L in hand :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vijayrv (Post 869463)

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo (Post 868699)

Sorry mate, I have to completely disagree with you. Honda hybrid is a proven technology for many years and no way they have to test again in India. I

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO (Post 869032)

You missed the point; Starscream meant that Honda is test *marketing* the product. Therefore, its not the product or technology that is being tested; it is the market feasibility.

Thank you for clarifying the point GTO.
I meant test marketing Diabloo - nowhere did I say the Civic Hybrid is an unproven product. I'd love to own one but Im not going to pay through my nose for being environmentally conscious - the govt. and Honda have to make it viable for me. If the car is 20lakhs, I will wait till the technology becomes more pervalent. And I think that will be soon, going by Honda's statement that for small cars they think petrol engines and not diesel are the way forward. I think they mean petrol hybrid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vijayrv (Post 869463)

Assumption 1: Hybrid gives 30kmpl (thats what the Honda showroom guy claimed)

:Shockked:No ways is the Hybrid going to deliver 30 kpl in the city, or in a combination of urban / highway driving cycles. Don't go on the word of the showroom guy!

Again, the CBU Hybrid is really not for those looking at saving money. Its aimed more at the treehuggers or those buying it for image. We can discuss cost / benefit when hybrids are locally built.

When the launch date was announced as 18th June, I don't know how the thread title was changed to July 1st !!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo (Post 865998)

Great Moment in Indian Car History !clap:!

Honda Siel Cars India will launch the Civic hybrid on the 18th of June in Delhi. :thumbs up The car will be available at all eighty Honda dealerships across the country for a test drive on the very same day.

The car will be imported as a CBU from Honda’s Suzuka factory in Japan, and will cost over Rs 20 lakh ex-showroom, due the 104 percent import duty. The company does not expect to sell more than 400 cars in the first year of its going on sale.

Honda announces Civic hybrid launch date CarWale.com Blog

Quote:

Originally Posted by sukiwa (Post 870510)

Civic Hybrid launched at price tag of 21.5 L ex-showroom Delhi.