Tag: japan

Report: Honda Fit Hybrid to cost $18,600* in Japan

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Hatchback, Honda

Honda Fit Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda is finally set to launch the Fit hybrid in Japan this October and pricing is rumored to start at ¥1.59 million or about $18,600 at current exchange rates. That’s a $4,700 premium over a standard gasoline powered Fit in Japan, but $3,500 less than the Insight, which makes it the cheapest hybrid available across the Pacific.

The Insight and Fit are built on the same platform, so the five-door Fit will likely use the same 1.3-liter mild-hybrid powertrain as its sibling. When we reviewed the Insight last year we concluded that its packaging sacrifices weren’t really worth the price premium over the Fit. If the Fit hybrid were offered here, the starting price would likely be somewhere around $18,000 based on the current prices of the Fit and Insight. We checked with Honda officials and they still have no plans to offer the Fit hybrid in the United States.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Honda Fit Sport

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Honda Fit Hybrid to cost $18,600* in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota’s hybrid sales break a million in Japan, Prius still on top

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius

2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

Back in August of 1997, Toyota launched its Coaster Hybrid EV minibus, the company’s first hybrid vehicle. Though the Coaster Hybrid is not a common name, it was the vehicle that started the hybrid revolution at Toyota. The Japanese automaker has now announced that cumulative sales of its hybrids have now topped the one-million mark in its home market. In addition, the company’s global hybrid sales now stand at 2.68 million and counting.

In related news, Toyota announced that the Prius topped the sales charts in Japan once again, marking the 14th consecutive month that the Prius outsold all other models in the Japanese market. While Toyota is comfortably leading the way in hybrid sales, the company is committed to bolstering its lead. Toyota plans to introduce hybrid versions of all of its existing models by 2020 and aims to sell more than one million hybrids per year before the end of the decade. Follow the jump for more info on Toyota’s continued dominance of the hybrid segment.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota’s hybrid sales break a million in Japan, Prius still on top originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Nissan Quest unveiled in Japan as Elgrand

Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Japan, Nissan

2011 Nissan Elgrand – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan is set to release the next-generation Quest minivan in the States later this year, but we may have gotten an early peek at the people mover thanks to Japanese unveil. Nissan pulled the sheets off of its JDM-only Elgrand – the corporate cousin to the Quest – and the van looks suspiciously similar to the teaser shots of the U.S. version we’ve seen so far. If the information on the Elgrand is any indication, buyers can look forward to getting their minivan with either a 3.5-liter V6 or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, with all-wheel drive available on select models and both seven and eight passenger configurations.

That’s not to say the two vehicles will be identical. For one thing, it appears that the American version of the van will wear slightly tweaked front and rear fascias compared to what we can see on the Elgrand. Likewise, we expect significant changes to the interior for the American market when the 2011 Quest debuts at the LA Auto Show in November.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Elgrand

[Source: NISMO Stuff, Nissan]

2011 Nissan Quest unveiled in Japan as Elgrand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Redesigned Nissan March goes on sale in Japan

Filed under: Japan, Hatchback, Nissan

Nissan March

2011 Nissan March – Click above for high-res image gallery

The all-new Nissan March, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in, you guessed it, March) went on sale in Japan this week. The March (or Micra, as it’s known in Europe) is powered by a new family of inline three-cylinder engines. The base normally-aspirated 1.2-liter is rated at 79 horsepower, and Nissan has also announced a supercharged and direct injected version that should produce over 100 horsepower.

The normally-aspirated engine is available with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission along with an automatic start-stop function to switch off the engine when the car comes to a halt. The CVT variant with idle-stop is rated at 61 miles per gallon (U.S.) on the Japanese urban test cycle, which should be equivalent to somewhere in the low to mid 40 mpg range on the EPA cycle.

Nissan has yet to confirm whether it will offer the redesigned Micra/March in the U.S. market.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Micra / March

[Source: Nissan]

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Redesigned Nissan March goes on sale in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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