It won't be long now: according to CarScoop, Honda plans to unveil the concept version of its standalone hybrid model on Thursday, September 4th (rendering shown above). That doesn't mean we'll get a look at the final production version: that won't take place until the Detroit Auto Show in January 2009. But the concept should give us a fairly good idea of what to expect from Honda.

At a recent press conference, Honda UK's environmental manager John Kingston said that the new model will play a very important role in the company's future. "It is a very important car for Honda and our future direction. This is a car that will change customer perception of hybrids... This is key for us and to achieve this hybrids have to be made more affordable—the key barrier to hybrid sales is price and we want to break that barrier," he said.

Current reports indicate that the compact five-door hatchback will use a revised version of the Civic IMA's mild-hybrid powertrain located underneath the trunk instead of beneath the rear seats. It is also rumored that the car will sticker around $19,000, putting it several grand cheaper than the base model Prius—but we'll know for sure soon enough.