Honda Civic hybrid IMA

The new Honda Civic hybrid IMA ushers the second hybrid generation IMA system to the existing platform of a mass-produced vehicle. Compared to the first Honda hybrid, the Insight, the technology has been improved and so that fuel consumption figures are now lower than a Diesel car.

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The 2003 Civic Hybrid, already on sale in Japan and the USA is now arriving in Europe. It builds on the Insight's technological concepts, but it does so using a significantly different mechanical system packaged in a body design that remains similar to the conventional Civic.

Fuel consumption is reduced 40 per cent compared to a conventional Civic LX 4 door. European combined fuel economy is 4.9 l/100 km while U.S. City/Highway mileage figures are 47 and 51mpg respectively (5.0 and 4.6 l/100km).

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The IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid powertrain of the Honda's Insight won the International Engine of the Year award in 2000 for its innovative combination of a spark ignition engine and electric motor sandwiched between the SI engine and its transmission. It provided a solution to the seemingly incompatible task of combining both efficiency and performance.

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December 2003