Honda announced today that it will add two new hybrids to its lineup in late 2010: a gas-electric version of the compact Fit and a production version of the CR-Z concept from 2007. Both will use some form of the Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system found in the Civic hybrid and current Insight. Neither of the newly confirmed models were well-kept secrets; we reported on their arrival way back in May 2008.
The versatile Fit is one of our favorite small cars, with the first U.S. version garnering back-to-back 10Best awards in 2007 and 2008 and its successor making our 2009 list. We fear the dilution of its spunky fun-to-drive character that hybridization might bring, but the Insight could provide a bit of, er, insight; it’s somewhat interesting to drive, if not particularly thrilling. Batteries could eat up some of the Fit’s impressive interior room, although given the smart packaging of the car’s fuel tank—which is under the front seats—we’re hopeful Honda will come up with a similarly innovative way to retain as much space as possible. In our previous report, Honda is quoted as saying the Fit hybrid will carry a premium of $2000 or less over the conventional model, and the company now adds it will debut by the end of next year.
