The 2021 Honda Clarity is a compact platform for fuel-efficient driving. It is offered in California as a hydrogen fuel-cell car (covered in a separate review) and throughout the country as a plug-in hybrid. The Clarity was introduced for the 2018 model year, reviving a name that was used for a fuel-cell vehicle from 2008 to 2014. The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid carries over into 2021 with no changes.

The Clarity Plug-In combines a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor and a 17-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The setup makes a combined 212 horsepower in the front-wheel-drive (FWD) Clarity.

The EPA rates plug-in and electric vehicles with a mile-per-gallon equivalent, or MPGe. The Clarity Plug-In returns an estimated 110 MPGe, and can travel up to 48 miles on electric power, according to the EPA. When that electric range is exhausted, it returns 42 mpg combined in hybrid mode. A full recharge takes 2.5 hours from a 240-volt Level 2 AC charger, or 12 hours from a 120-volt household power outlet (known as Level 1).

Trims for the Clarity Plug-In are base and Touring. Standard equipment includes remote keyless entry, pushbutton start, dual-zone climate control, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moving up to the Touring trim adds leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a navigation system.

The Clarity Plug-In comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assistance features. This includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. It also comes with Honda LaneWatch, which is a camera monitor for the passenger-side blind spot that turns on when the right turn signal is activated.

Base MSRP for the 2021 Honda Clarity Plug-In is $33,400. The Touring trim starts at $36,600. The Clarity Plug-In is backed by a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty. Hybrid components are backed by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.