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2010 Honda Insight Hybrid Review and Specs

2010 Honda Insight – Budget Hybrid

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
Amsterdam NL Bureau
The Auto Channel

VILLACH, Austria. Want to drive a hybrid? From the beginning of April, there will be another choice on the market: the 2010 Honda Insight. This new hybrid made its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Because of the state of the industry, Honda had decided to skip the hoopla and glamour and just put the new 2010 Honda Insight in the centre of its display area. During the show, the Detroit Three bragged about coming up with new hybrids and electric vehicles in the future. But that means there are still two to three years to go.

In the meantime, the Japanese have shown the way. In 1999, the Honda Insight was the first hybrid sold in North America and Toyota followed in 2001 with the Prius. A year later, Honda introduced the 2003 Civic Hybrid that was succeeded in 2006 by the second generation.

The 2010 Honda Insight is a completely new vehicle and has nothing to do with the original model, that was the first production vehicle with Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system. Even though mileage was exceeding 60 mpg, the radically styled first Honda Insight was mainly impractical because of its two-seat coupe configuration. Total global sales amounted to only 18,000 cars and Honda discontinued building it by the end of 2006. Of the new Insight, Honda expects to sell high quantities with annual global sales of 200,000 per year, and approximately 100,000 in North America.

At first sight, it is easy to mistake the new generation Insight for a Toyota Prius. Has Honda been aping the Prius because of its success? We will not get the answer. One thing is certain: aerodynamics for the least resistance are ruled by the wind tunnel and negative input comes from crash regulations. That Honda choose a hatchback is initiated by the popularity of such models in Europe.” The American Honda organisation asked for a sedan, but we held on to the hatch, also because of its better aerodynamics,” said Hiduharu Takemoto, the Insight’s assistant chief engineer. Another thing is that Honda wanted to make a cheaper hybrid for younger customers. Although the price has not been announced yet, the Insight is expected to sell under $ 20,000, well below the Civic Hybrid that starts at $ 23,650 and the Toyota Prius with a base price of $ 22,000.

A better look at the 2010 Honda Insight tells us that it is lower than the Prius. The figures say 2.5 inches and in car terms that is a lot. But the Insight also undoubtedly shows its relationship to the revolutionary FCX Clarity, Honda’s fuel cell car and the first one world wide available for customers (in Southern California, at three-year $ 600/month lease).

Unmistakeably, the design of the 2010 Honda Insight says Hybrid and its low stance also means a low centre of gravity. The front of the Insight is inspired by that of the FCX with thin projector-beam headlamps. The sleek five door Insight has distinctive LED tail lamps and a tinted window in the back. It gives a better visibility to the rear, but the window ‘sill’ above still is a bit in the way.

The 2010 Honda Insight inside looks spacious with a centre console that is angled a bit toward the driver and still well-visible for the passenger. Seats have nice fabric, are comfortable and provide enough side support during cornering. It’s a pity that the room behind the front seats is not really fit for tall adults as head room is tight. Leg room is sufficient, provided the driver does not need to go al the way back with the seat. The luggage space of 15.9 cu ft. can be extended by folding the backseats (60/40) forward, although they do not go completely flat.

The specs and details of the new Honda Insight have already been posted in the most recent update at All-New Insight Makes European Debut in Valencia

Our first 2010 Honda Insight test drive ended near the harbour of the beautiful Spanish city Valencia. We used the 1.3-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and the IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system on the freeway, on winding country roads and in the city. We drove not especially in a ‘green’ way, but as we would normally drive any car under such circumstances. Overtaking now and then, or quickly changing direction in the city after realizing we were about to take the wrong street. The total of 98 horsepower might not be very high, but the torque of 123 ft.lb is quickly available and that feels very secure. The 2010 Honda Insight reacts without hesitation on the moment you want it to. If you would not know better, the car does not feel as a fuel saver. However, I think the power will be just o.k. when the car is fully loaded, i.e. with four people and luggage. In most cases though, people buying a hybrid will not often use it for more than the daily commute or average city driving.

Anyway, the gauge in the centre of the 2010 Honda Insight instrument panel tells you whether you are charging the battery, or just eating up its power. The start/stop system turns off the gasoline engine to save fuel at traffic lights. The electric motor of the IMA system does not start up from a standstill, but is capable to operate in low ( for instance 30 mph) to middle-speed conditions on electric power. The power goes to the wheels through the CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) with a 7-speed Sport mode, that can be shifted through paddles on the steering wheel. It can make life easy, when you are cruising and suddenly want to get out of a dangerous situation. In that case you can shift back from ‘7’ to ‘4’ in no time. But normally, the CVT is well prepared to do its work.

Honda states a fuel consumption of 40 mpg city and 43 highway and with a 16 gallon tank, you may expect a driving range of more than 400 miles. Our first drive was not as gas sipping as we could be. The limited time and distances normally do not inspire you to be as green as you’d normally be. Nevertheless we did some 39 mpg. For drivers who want to improve on fuel efficiency, Honda developed the fancy ‘Econ’ button. It activates fuel conserving modes in the Insight’s system’s, such as how the cruise control operate and how often the gasoline engine is shut off.

The 2010 Honda Insight Eco Assist feature helps drivers to be more efficient by showing in the background color of the speedometer if you are ‘blue or green’. The system also registers your driving, adding flowers in the little display in the I.P. when you are doing well and accumulating the car’s lifetime score. It will be a nice gimmick for drivers to go to the internet and compare their scores with those of others. Hey, marketing people at Honda, did you already think about playing this on the web…? By the way, I scored the leafs of four flowers, so there is room for improvement as ideally you would like to have complete flowers in the display. The next day, my colleague had the same score.

The first impression of the 2010 Honda Insight was good, but for success in Europe the price really has to be right. If it comes to close to that of the Civic and its opponent from Toyota, people might choose for the roomier models. But if the difference in Euro will be about the same as in dollars, Honda might reach its goal. In certain markets the hybrids are ‘sponsored’ by national governments. In my country, we normally pay 40 per cent tax over the net price of a car (plus 19 per cent state tax). People who use the car for business, or lease it normally have to add 25 per cent of the car’s value to their income, and pay tax accordingly. If a car’s CO2 emission is lower than 110 grams per kilometer – as is the case with the hybrid models - you add only 14 %. Between 11 and 140 grams it is 20 %. This, of course, stimulates the sales of hybrids. However, the government can chance its policy from year to year. Last year though, it helped Honda increasing sales and Toyota holding its ground in the decreasing market.

2010 Honda Insight Specs