The Crank: The people have spoken, hybrids really are a dumb buy

Honda Canada replied to the Civic Hybrid and Insight hullabalu: "There has been a rumour circulating this week about Honda Canada no longer selling the Honda Insight or Civic Hybrid. Please note that it is just that—a rumour. Honda Canada will listen to the voice of our customers and will bring the products they want. If there is market demand for Insight and Civic Hybrid, we will bring the appropriate supply. Honda dealers currently have more than 6 months supply of these models, so we will monitor demand and order more when demand is there. That said, Honda Canada is planning to offer both Insight and Civic Hybrid as 2011 model-year units, and we have no plans to discontinue either model." So there you go. - JL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It’s taken a few years. But it looks like Canadian new car buyers are coming to their senses about the lack of value in gasoline-electric hybrids." Montreal’s LaPresse is reporting that Honda Canada will be dropping two-thirds of its hybrid lineup. Not that anyone will notice, but allegedly, the Civic Hybrid and the much-hyped Insight will be leaving showrooms, just as its new CR-Zed hybrid sports coupe arrives. "Our dealers do not keep any of these models [Insight and Civic hybrid] in stock and the customer who wants to buy one should place an order and wait for the car be delivered to him," Nadia Mereb, Honda’s Québec media relations person told the Montreal newspaper. Officially, there wasn’t a 2010 model year for the hybrid Civic. It’s lack of popularity caused Honda Canada to continue to sell leftover 2009 models. Of the over 30,000 Civics sold in Canada in the fist half of 2010, only about 600 were hybrids. The Insight—Honda’s half-hearted response to Toyota’s Prius—has been even more of an unmitigated disaster. Only about 750 Canadians have bought an Insight this year. A little off the projected 10,000-per-year numbers Honda Canada had hoped for, eh? Of course, Honda isn’t the only one finding out that hybrids aren’t fooling all of the people, all of the time. I expect Toyota premium brand Lexus’ HS 250h will soon suffer the same as the just-canned Honda hybrids. Originally priced in the $40,000 and $50,000 range, rare is the buyer that has bought into the HS’s—er—interesting value proposition. And the market has spoken. Last weekend in the Toronto Star Wheels print section, Lexus Canada was advertising $7,000 in discounts and incentives on the HS 250h, bringing it’s base price down to $34,980. Hey, don’t worry. There's no need to ruch down to your local Lexus dealer. The old, “Hurry! They’re going fast!” tagline doesn’t apply here. So, obviously, Canadians have wisened up to the questionable value proposition of hybrids. And, obviously, they’re too many hybrids for the market. So which hybrid do you think should be the next to walk the plank? [Sources: Lexus Canada, La Presse]

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