Honda has cancelled its appearance at the Frankfurt show, saying that resources will be concentrating on other areas. Current priorities are said to be the development of its hybrid and research on fuel cells, but this occurs in shades of economic downturns as the automobile market experiences a decline that has no precedents.

So this is not a period of superfluous spending as Honda reduces costs in strategic areas, despite the huge success of the Honda Insight in Japan and the US. Sales of the CR-Z Coupé Hybrid will start next year, after which we should also see the Jazz Hybrid on the market: the first small model of its kind in Europe.

Continue reading: Honda cancels Frankfurt show appearance

Chevrolet has released shots of its Chevrolet Volt, that show the final look of this American hybrid and its technological aspects. You may as well save the photos at this stage, as the Volt itself won’t appear on the market until the end of 2010, while the new Toyota Prius and Honda Insight have got a jump on Chevrolet.

Chevrolet is still pursuing its hybrid programs though, with an agreement with LG to produce new batteries in its Michigan facilities. It’s not a bad looking car for the hybrid segment, though I don’t really get the shot of the flowers in the boot - economic friendliness taken too far when the norm is a set of golf clubs…?

Continue reading: New images of Chevrolet Volt

After the official shots and technical details of the new Honda Insight, here is the official video of the new hybrid, up for competition in the field of the Toyota Prius. Just like its more famous rival, the Honda Insight is planning on production of 200,000 examples in 2009 in the North American market, with hopes to recoup from the crisis experienced by more traditional models.

The Insight price should be more convenient than the Prius, coming in at around 21,000 euros, compared to 26,000 in the American market. In April we will see the model on the European market. The Insight has a 1.3 litre petrol engine at 88hp and 123 Nm, combined with an electric unit of nearly 14hp and 103 Nm, with average consumption sitting at 4.4 litres/100km, and only 101 g/km of CO2 emissions.

Source | Quanteruote

Continue reading: Honda Insight video

While the two cars are more different in the front, but the rear keeps its aerodynamic form, the prototype will not be the third generation Toyota Prius, but its competitor. The Honda Insight, with its hybrid engine, will be the first of its kind sold in the US.

Continue reading: Honda Insight to debut in Paris