While other car companies introduced flashy new sheet metal, Honda introduced a technological innovation that could have a huge impact on roads near you. This fall, Honda will introduce a hybrid version of their huge-selling Accord.

Ya see? Looks like an Accord, right? But not on the inside: there's a hybrid, gasoline-electric drive train that gives you a V6 engine, PLUS an electric motor, providing the fuel economy of a four-cylinder Honda Civic. It also includes cylinder de-activation technology that allows the six-cylinder engine to run on only three cylinders (but smoothly--not like Tommy's car when it runs on three cylinders!) when less power is needed.

We suspect that there are a lot of people out there that are interested in buying hybrid, but don't want to drive a small car, like the Honda Civic hybrid or the Toyota Prius. For those folks, a hybrid Accord is going to sound pretty damn tempting.

By the way, for those interested in hybrid SUVs, expect to see the Ford Escape hybrid, the Lexus RX400 hybrid, and the Toyota Highlander hybrid, all in the next year or so.