The automotive industry has fully embraced hybridization, with models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic leading the charge for fuel-conscious buyers. But what about the drivers whose lives require something larger? Historically, this is where the hybrid promise falters. Most large hybrid trucks, SUVs, and minivans offer frustratingly minimal fuel economy gains over their pure-gas counterparts.
In a bold move that suggests the Japanese giant is tired of being an electrification laggard, Honda has announced an ambitious goal. To improve the fuel efficiency of its next-generation large hybrid vehicles by “more than 30% over internal combustion engine vehicles sold in the same segment”. This is a significant aspiration, as it means these larger hybrid models would offer substantially better mileage, not just a few negligible extra miles per gallon.
To put this in perspective, consider the Honda Passport, one of the largest SUVs in Honda’s current American portfolio, which manages a rather thirsty 19 miles per gallon (MPG) city and 25 MPG highway. If Honda succeeds with this next-generation hybrid system, a large SUV equivalent to the Passport could potentially reach approximately 24 MPG city and 32 MPG highway. Such an efficiency boost would represent a massive improvement over current gasoline-only figures for their heavier trucks, SUVs, and minivans.
This urgency stems from Honda’s cautious approach to electrification. While competitors like Toyota have executed a relentless hybrid rollout, Honda has lagged. Only the Civic, Accord, and CR-V currently benefit from hybrid drivetrains, leaving the HR-V, Passport, Pilot, Ridgeline, and Odyssey as purely gasoline models.
The market has already proven that large family haulers are possible. The Kia Sorento Hybrid and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, both three-row mid-size SUVs, achieve an impressive 36 MPG combined. Similarly, the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid and the Toyota Sienna minivan all demonstrate that massive vehicles can go with hybrid powertrains. Based on this new pledge, Honda is finally signaling its intent to seriously compete.
