Nationally, the average price for a gallon of gas is closing in on $2 per gallon, and a prominent candidate in the U.S. presidential race is an outspoken proponent of stiffer fuel mileage requirements. With the upcoming release of the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid, it's almost as though the Japanese automaker saw this day coming.

The 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid, due in showrooms over the summer, is Honda's third entry into the gasoline/electric hybrid market. Powered in part by the Accord's stellar 3.0-liter, 240-horsepower V6 engine, much of the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid's technology is borrowed from the company's current hybrid offerings, the Honda Insight and the Honda Civic Hybrid, both of which employ the company's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system.

IMA includes a conventional gasoline engine combined with an electric motor that recharges during routine driving rather than requiring drivers to "plug it in." This is Honda's first application of IMA to a V6 engine. In addition, the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid will be the first car in company history to be outfitted with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology.