Honda unveils next-generation hybrid system for new midsize car

Honda is planning a range of cheaper, more efficient e:HEV hybrids with newly developed 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engines

Honda has released the first details about its next-generation hybrid powertrain. It combines new 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre direct-injection Atkinson cycle engines with a new front drive unit and integrated cooling system.

Honda says drivers can expect fuel efficiency improvements of more than 10 percent when paired with a next-generation midsize platform currently under development. The company went on to say that the new 1.5-liter engine will “significantly improve fuel economy by expanding the efficient range in which engine speeds are balanced with engine torque, resulting in more than 40% improvement in fuel economy compared to the current 1.5-liter engine” for the e :HEV system. “

More: Honda Prelude coming to U.S. in late 2025 with simulated shifting

Additionally, we can expect smaller, more efficient drive units with more versatility between small and medium-sized systems. The latter effort is expected to reduce costs “significantly.”

The hybrid system’s various drive modes have also been tweaked to improve performance and efficiency. As a result, we can expect “excellent power delivery and fuel economy.”

As mentioned earlier today, all future hybrids will feature the new S+ shift system, which “precisely controls… engine speed during acceleration and deceleration for direct drive response and quick gear changes.” .” The system also attempts to “stimulate all the driver’s senses” by “enhancing the quality of engine sound” via the audio system. While that’s gibberish, Honda says the system enhances “the sense of oneness between driver and vehicle.”

S+ Shift, which will debut on the Prelude next year, features improved linear shift control logic. We can also expect better responsiveness and fake gear changes, as Honda clearly thinks experience is more important than reality.

Electric all-wheel drive

The next generation of hybrids will offer new electric all-wheel drive that can be shared with electric vehicles. This should reduce cost and complexity while also improving performance under adverse conditions.

Back to the new midsize platform, Honda says it features “new body rigidity management” to reduce weight. There will also be a new “Steering Stability Index, which provides the ability to flex the body while cornering to control the load on each tire.” These improvements will be accompanied by a simplified body structure compared to the current hybrid , is expected to reduce weight by up to 10%.

This could result in a weight reduction of about 198 pounds (90 kilograms), as Honda is “working hard to develop the lightest platform in its class.” Honda went on to say that based on this architecture, the modular platform will have “more than 60% commonality among all models.”

cost reduction target

Perhaps most importantly, Honda claims it aims to reduce the cost of its next-generation hybrid electric vehicle by up to 50% when it launches in 2027, comparing the 2027 model to a similar version launched in 2018.

Honda aims to sell 1.3 million hybrid vehicles annually by 2030, but the company still plans to achieve zero emissions by 2040. This means that hybrid cars are suitable for the present, while electric cars are suitable for the medium to long term.