The 2010 Honda Insight
For a long time, the big player in the hybrid vehicle market has been the Toyota Prius and nipping at its heels has been the Honda Civic Hybrid. Despite the great success of these two models, they have been hindered in gaining widespread sales due to one main factor: cost. And that’s where the Honda Insight comes in.
The base models of both the Prius and Civic Hybrid are priced at around $24,000, and once a few options are installed, the price can easily climb up to $30,000. The price is high because of the incredible array of components required for hybrid drivetrains and power systems. This high price has deterred many buyers who have wanted to pick up a hybrid vehicle. Honda is hoping to fill this market gap with the new Insight. Set to go on sale in April of 2009, the Insight will have a base price of around $18,000.
As far as mileage is concerned, the Honda says that the Insight will get 40 mpg in city driving and 43 mpg highway. While these figures may have seemed impressive a few years ago, Toyota will be raising the bar this year. The 2010 Prius, which premiered at the Detroit Auto Show this past January, will achieve a 50 mpg rating.
The Insight’s styling looks to be heavily informed by the Prius, as it is a five-door hatchback, but Honda insists that the design is purely a result of aerodynamic and engineering requirements. The Insight does feature some innovative features, however. One of these is the background of the console’s gauges. Starting as blue in color, the gauge’s background will change to green as the driver uses more environmentally friendly driving habits (like gradual accelerations and modest speeds). Also, the car will award the driver an “eco-score” based on these driving habits.
February 16th, 2009 at 6:36 am
This Car is looking amazing i love it