Hybrids have been on the world’s roads since the late 1990s, when Toyota launched the Prius and Honda launched the Insight. UK Honda fans looking for a hybrid car can currently buy one of three different Honda hybrids – the family sized Insight, the supermini Jazz and the sporty CR-Z.
One of the main reasons drivers choose Honda is because of the car maker’s excellent reputation for reliability. In the Which Car? and Warranty Direct reliability survey carried out in 2011, Honda came top for an incredible sixth year in a row. The Japanese car maker’s HR-V and CR-V topped the same survey’s SUV category as well. Added to that Honda won the number two spot in the JD Power Owner Satisfaction Survey 2011.
So, Honda customers tend to be happy ones, we can see. And increasingly, they are also the drivers who show their respect for the environment by choosing to drive hybrids. Hybrid vehicles are good for the environment as their power comes from an electric motor and a small internal combustion engine, so they use less fuel and create fewer emissions than conventional cars.
Although hybrids are becoming more familiar sights on British roads, they are by no means standard as yet. The number of hybrids or electric vehicles accounts for just 2% of the new cars sold in 2011. Although this figure is tiny, it is increasing, and it seems that with pretty much every manufacturer showcasing a hybrid or electric vehicle at each big motor show, this trend is set to continue.
However, the latest Honda to go on sale in the UK is the Civic 2012, and there isn’t a hybrid in the European range. Instead, there’s a diesel version which gets 64-67 mpg and emits only 110g/km, just 9g/km more than the Honda Insight. So, it’s clear that even if Honda isn’t bringing any more hybrids to the UK just yet, the company is still making a commitment to the environment with its new cars.
Pin It
