New Honda Insight no Prius-killer
The Honda Insight uses a 1.3-liter engine and its IMA hybrid system.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)Although it may be a five-door hatchback, like Toyota's Prius, the Honda Insight concept, unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, probably won't significantly displace the Prius. This concept, set to unveil as a production vehicle at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and go on sale in the first half of 2009, uses Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system and, as such, is considered a mild hybrid, because it doesn't drive the car under electric power only. IMA integrates a small electric motor with the transmission, which provides extra boost when the car is accelerating, and includes an idle-stop program.
The Honda Insight is a five-door hatchback, much like the Toyota Prius.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)The Insight should get fuel economy similar to the current Honda Civic Hybrid, according to Honda CEO Takeo Fukui, who emphasized that the new Insight will be one of the most affordable hybrids on the market. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets an EPA-rated 40 mpg city and 45 mpg highway, although in road-trip testing we achieved 46.6 mpg. The primary drive unit of the Insight is a four-cylinder 1.3-liter engine. The IMA system has been refined by Honda from earlier versions--its batteries and control unit are placed under the cargo area in the Insight.
The instrumentation is similar to that of the Honda Civic.
(Credit: Honda)The Insight takes its name from Honda's first hybrid, a two-seat three-door hatchback produced from 1999 to 2006. The new Insight has interior instrumentation similar to that found in the Honda Civic, with a dual-layer instrument cluster that puts a digital speedometer on top, with an analog tachometer below. An LCD for navigation sits in the middle of the dashboard. The interior shows some nice back-lighting on the switchgear, although we don't know if this touch will find its way into the production vehicle.
Just stop doing this please!
I love the environment but I love my wallet more and I will pick a slightly less fuel efficient car if it costs thousands of dollars less.
Oh I bet the Insight's sales would do just fine!
Just stop doing this please!
I love the environment but I love my wallet more and I will pick a slightly less fuel efficient car if it costs thousands of dollars less.
Oh I bet the Insight's sales would do just fine!
I would not buy Prius - cause it is ugly - but Insight has caught my attention...
I think contrary to this article's author's point of view, Honda hit the nail on the head with this car. I'm holding off though.. I've decided i'm going to run my 1st gen '03 Insight into the ground and possibly replace it with the upcoming CRZ... hopefully Honda will ditch the Tronesque glow stick interior accents :)
Cunningham ignores significant price differential, between Insight and Prius. I'd pull this article; any reputable CNET Editors listening?
"Here we go again with CNET using provocative titles to make users read the articles. J
Just stop doing this please!"
I agree with the author that the Insight doesn't have what it takes to steal the leadership from Toyota. The top priority appears to have been a lower price, which isn't usually Honda's strategy.
One these hit the market, owners will be posting fuel economy results here:
http://www.truedelta.com/fuel_economy.php
Since my career revolves around the Auto Industry, I can assure you that Honda puts far more thought into the design and construction of their cars and I cannot wait to own an Insight! Move over Toyota, there's gonna be another big kid in town!
While Toyota insists on pricing its hybrids well out of the range of the middle class, Honda just plain gets it with this perfect price point/quality ratio. (although i wish they retained the LED lighting seen here)
Meanwhile out in the desert somewhere, GM is still testing what will prove to be their next $35,000 over-complicated failure called the Volt.
It is a shame that this design is so similar to the Prius though. Most people will not realize that the teardrop car shape originated form Honda's civic CRX of the 80's. I personally think this will minimal impact on sales, but its still a shame that they couldnt further differentiate this car from the Prius design.
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by huppster
April 14, 2009 8:30 AM PDT
- I test drove the Insight last week. I love the features (steering wheel shifters, the economy settings, navigation, blue tooth, USB port, etc.) and the interior with the exception of the back seats are kid of tight (about the same as the Prius) when the driver's and front passenger seats are set as far back as they can go.
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(23 Comments)The ride is smooth, the turning radius is a bit better than what I've come to expect from a Honda. The only thing that surprised me was how noisy it was relative to the other Hondas I've owned. The quietness is a Honda trademark, and I'm not getting the same vibe. It's especially noisy on the uphill climbs. I've been told that this is trademark for a hybrid, but I'm not certain of that.
In my test drive, the engine did not cut off like I know the 1st generation Insight, Civic and Prius do (was this an anomaly?) Anyway, I'm not in the immediate market, so I'm going to wait a while....the warranty and price on the new Insight seem very attractive, so it's where I'm leaning right now....biding my time.