egmCarTech

Honda has started selling its 2010 Insight Hybrid in Japan with prices starting at 1.8 million yen ($20,052 USD). The Japanese automaker is looking to keep pricing of the U.S. bound Insight right under $20,000 and is supposedly considering building the hybrid in the U.S. if sales hit a target of 100,000 units annually.

According to Honda’s Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo, both goals will be tough for the company but must be necessary to compete with its rival – the Toyota Prius. Honda hopes to sell 100,000 of the Honda Insight Hybrid in the U.S. and 200,000 units worldwide, reports Automotive News.

The 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid will go on sale in the U.S. in April 2009. Power will come from a 1.3L SOHC i-VTEC engine mated to a CVT transmission. Coupled with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology that allows the Insight to return an EPA rated fuel-economy of 40/43 mpg (city/highway).

Make the jump for the high-res image gallery.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

   

Related Posts:

1. Fukui: Honda Insight will not enter price-war with Prius, new hybrid system for larger cars coming
2. 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid off to a good start in Japan
3. Mugen tunes the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid
4. Detroit NAIAS 2009: 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid returns an EPA certified 40/43 mpg
5. Buzz Garage: Honda Insight Hybrid