Honda Bets Scientists in Secret Engine Lab Can Outsmart Toyota

Toyota does a better job because the Prius doesn't look like any other car in Toyota's lineup, so you know when you see a Prius. Honda? Well unless you are actively looking for a hybrid lettering you wouldn't know if it was a hybrid or not.

Oh yah, and I bought mine because of hollywood stars

 

"Yet Honda sold just 666 Insights in 2005"

Yikes! The econo-beast.

But seriously, I do not quite accept the notion that Prius was not engineering-dominated from the start. Its engineers were simply aiming at a different target than the Insight's engineers were.

 

who's Charlize Theron?? I guess they should look at their data again!!

 

I thought being humble was a Japanese quality? They are just setting themselves up for more disappoinment with an attitude like that. I wish I could hear their reaction when the model' 09 Prius comes out!

 

Or perhaps because the Insight is a two seater with little trunk space.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tochatihu @ Jun 19 2006, 09:33 PM) [snapback]273792[/snapback]</div>

This article makes a very astute observation. Honda has lost the halo of being considered the leader in economy and 'greenness'. It has always labored to be first, especially here in the US where it is considered to be a 'premium' auto maker - higher quality automaker.

IMO both toyota and Honda are always on top of what the other is doing technologically. The article alludes to this. Here is my take:

In the late 90's both were in a huge rush to get to market first with a vehicle the public would accept ( the Forbes article about the development of the Prius is remarkable ). If No 1 Toyota was taking such huge risks what about little No 3 Honda ( the motorcycle maker ). Toyota can throw huge amounts of cash at a project. Honda doesn't have Toyota's wealth but in the US it is Toyota's equal or at least it seems so to most Americans. Corporate spying? I'm sure it happens everywhere. Knowing what the other guy has up his sleeve? Smart engineers in any auto maker can replicate another's product probably even before it comes out.

Toyota was able, due to its greater resources, to develop a more elegant albeit more expensive technology which could be mass marketed. Honda had to beat Toyota here in the US, thus it's entry the Insight was rushed to arrive 6 months in advance of the Gen I Prius. The Insight did everything it was expected to do - but it still seemed to be a 'concept vehicle' with little mass market appeal.

Toyota with it's resources could afford to invest in a more expensive system with the expectation that increased volumes in the future would bring down the costs. They were correct. Honda had to invest in a simpler ( more efficient? ) system that cost less to produce initially but ended up being useful only for small light vehicles.

In the early part of this decade Honda had the leadership position of being first here. It also beat Toyota to market with a high performance hybrid in the HAH which beat its main rival the Camry by nearly 18 mo's. Again Honda was first, maintaining it's halo.

But neither the Insight nor the HAH were sustainable. By the time Toyota had brought out it's remarkable Gen 2 Prius the Insight was already dead. By the time the TCH hit the market to rave reviews on performance, content, economy and pricing the HAH was already dead. The HCH is a winner for sure.

Honda IMO recognizes the limitations of its own hybrid technology thus it's gone off to fight the diesel wars. Here it has a great opportunity to jump the market and maintain a lead. The problem is re-education of the American market. Hybrid technology was a blank slate so to speak, no one knew anything about it. Lot's of people have opinions about diesels and many are not positive.

However Toyota is not asleep at the wheel either. It too is a major diesel manufacturer. Interesting times are upon us that much is certain.