Honda has told us it will not be producing a Honda Fit Hybrid for the U.S. market, but it also once told us thatthere will be no Honda Jazz Hybrid. What you are looking at above is exactly that – an EU-market Honda Jazz with a gas-electric drivetrain. The new, more verdant model is set to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, and Honda has just released an expanded array of images and more details about the eco-minded hatch. While the Japanese automaker hasn’t divulged the car’s full specs, there are a few things we do know:
- Interior space remains largely uncompromised, as the battery pack and other hybrid hardware is under the trunk floor.
- The IMA mild hybrid motor and control systems are shared with the Insight and CR-Z.
- Just like the Insight, the Jazz Hybrid utilizes a 1.3-liter gasoline engine under the hood.
The U.S. 2010 Honda Fit model is rated at 27 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, and we expect the Fit Hybrid to push that urban rating up by more than a few notches. Sadly, this new model remains unlikely to make it to North American shores.
