By Tessa R. Salazar
Inquirer
WAS it just coincidence that as the Inquirer flashed the news about climate change on its banner page, its Motoring section had in its possession (for a couple of days, at least) two hybrid cars from two of the world’s trailblazers in hybrid power technology?
Maybe there has been, indeed, an ultimate purpose for endeavors that would, at first, seem meaningless and a waste of time. Take, for example, our effort to drive these two hybrid cars (a Toyota Prius and a Honda Civic with Integrated Motor Assist) through some of the most congested locations in Metro Manila at the worst possible driving times (payday Friday night and Saturday afternoon).
Thus, the 1.5-liter Prius (a second-generation test unit) and the 2006 Civic 1.3 i-DSi with IMA were virtually inseparable for two days, driven in identical routes and lanes, loaded up at the same fuel stations and subjected to the same traffic situations.
Two for the road
The Prius had already been test driven earlier this year by Inquirer Motoring. This would be the first time, though, that it would have a fellow hybrid for a companion.
At the onset, the Prius evidently has a more space-age “look” than the Civic, owing to a prominent energy screen monitor at the center of the dashboard, a unique, tiny gearshift lever just below that monitor, and an EV mode on the left side of the dashboard. Pushing the EV button would give the driver full-time electric power for speed up to 42 kph for as far as 3 km, or depending on the battery charge levels.
The Prius demolished all our misconceptions of hybrids as being slowpokes. This Prius, with a body as big as a 1.8-liter Altis, pulled like it was a 2-liter sedan, even during uphill runs. As we noted previously, the gasoline engine may produce a measly 76 hp at 5,000 rpm, but when combined with the 67 hp at 1,200 to 1,540 rpm of the electric engine, you effectively harness over 478 Nm (net of torque) and 110 horsepower at its peak. We have also observed that the electric motor’s characteristic high torque was also an immense help on the uphill (both engines worked during steep climbs).
The Civic Hybrid, on the other hand, looks every bit a regular Civic sedan except for the large side markings spelling out “Integrated Motor Assist” and the decal “hybrid” at the rear. The digital monitors at the dash betray its hidden nature, of course, with noticeable gauges for battery charge and the IMA system.
The Civic driver control package looks more user friendly for its needle-type gauges, conventional ignition switch, and regular A/T gearshift lever.
Photos courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 10th, 2008 at 4:38 am
electric car…
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to drift back a few years to my Army days and mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a hostile vehicle. Whenever I hear engines at night, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clea…
July 12th, 2008 at 10:45 am
There’s a lot more competitors coming in the hybrid car industry.
However these giants should reduce their price for the hybrids to make it affordable for more people.
I mean, hybrid cars promotes greener planet. So, by making them more affordable, more people will use hybrids.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:31 am
Read somewhere that Toyota Prius if sold here would have the price of the top of the line Camry about P2.0M. Payback period would be too long. The only consolation is that it is environment friendly.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
i want to have one hybrid civic or honda clarity when available in the philippines
May 18th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
well hybrid tech is quite popular in europe as like as in us, but it`s something unreally for some kind of 3rd party countries … Till the time gasoline fuel come to the end the hybrid stand on the second place.