Honda Concept B Hybrid revealed at 2014 Beijing auto show

While the Japanese maker is claiming that the production iteration of this particular vehicle will be available only for the Chinese local market, the Concept B Hybrid does shine some light on the future direction of Honda’s entry-level hybrid range, as the brand has stated that development is under way ahead of the new car going on sale within two years.

Honda has been cagey with release details on the powertrain technology and layout, so it’s safe to say that the Concept B Hybrid is almost purely a styling exercise – designed to assess public opinion on the potential new design direction of the production vehicle.

On the topic of style, the Concept B Hybrid is a five-door hatch that looks like a sedan. Honda reckons the compact hatchback style is popular among younger buyers, and plans are for the production version to go on sale within two years.

The heavily stylised Concept B Hybrid does make you wonder how much more successful the wedgy five-door Insight may have been had it looked less like an Insight and, well, more like this. While the front end is certainly a little busy, the curved roof and window line is an attractive feature of the sedan-style hatch body.