• •  Competes with: Toyota Prius.
• •  40/43 mpg (city/highway); Driving range of 400 miles.
• •  Arrives in April 2009; Priced below the Honda Civic Hybrid.

Honda has taken the wraps off of the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid. All 2010 Insights are powered by a 1.3L SOHC i-VTEC engine mated to a CVT transmission. That engine works together with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid technology that allows for an EPA rated fuel-economy of 40/43 (city/highway) mpg. Besides that outstanding fuel-economy, the 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor IMA hybrid system, along with a 10.6 gallon fuel-tank, allows for driving range of more than 400 miles.

At the 2008 LA Auto Show, Honda showed off its new Ecological Driver Assist System (ECO Assist) that helps owners get the most ‘greenness’ out of their Insight Hybrid. The driver activated ECON mode optimizes the control of the CVT transmission, engine and other powertrain parts to increase fuel-efficiency. Real-time feedback from the Insight is displayed on the new speedometer display in cool changing background colors. See a plant-leaf graphic on your speedometer? That means your being a good boy and driving very efficiently.

Click through for more info and the high-res image gallery.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

Standard features on all 2010 Honda Insight Hybrids include 60/40 split and fold-down rear seatbacks; two-tier digital instrument panels; automatic climate control; power windows, mirrors and door locks; a tilting and telescoping steering wheel and a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 audio playback, an auxiliary audio input jack and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC). The Honda Insight EX model adds alloy-wheels, cruise control, a 6-speaker audio sysetm with a USB audio interface, paddle shifters and Honda’s Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition.

The 2010 Insight will be available at Honda dealers in the U.S. in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced below the Civic Hybrid.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

Honda has taken the covers off of its new Insight Hybrid Concept, a concept that is pretty much the production ready model that will arrive on U.S. roads in April 2009. At the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Honda’s CEO Takeo Fukui said that he is targeting a price of just below $19,000 for the Prius rival (Prius starts at $22,000).

He also said that the Honda Insight Hybrid “will mirror” the fuel-economy of the Civic Hybrid which gets 40/45 mpg. That’s surprising to us since early inside information suggested at a fuel-economy of close to 60 mpg and since the Toyota Prius gets 48/45 mpg.

Check out a video of the Honda Insight Hybrid in action after the jump – along with high-res images from the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

Live from Paris 2008: Honda Insight Hybrid Concept:

Honda Insight Hybrid Concept in action:

Live from Paris 2008: Honda Insight Hybrid Concept:

Honda Insight Hybrid Concept:

While Honda won’t be jumping on the plug-in hybrid bandwagon, it will be coming to the market with an all-new dedicated hybrid after a very long time. The Honda Insight Hybrid is scheduled to hit markets in 2009 with the U.S. market getting their allocation in April ‘09.

Power for the Honda Insight Hybrid comes from a 1.3 liter gasoline engine. Honda is not saying how much output the car will produce but does say that it will be assisted by an electric motor. Fuel-economy is rumored to be somewhere north of 60 mpg.

Honda is projecting annual sales for the Insight at 200,000 units. Pricing for the 5-door, 5-passenger hybrid is expected to be right below $19,000.

Check out more high-res photos and the press release after the jump.

Honda Insight Hybrid Concept:

Press Release:

Honda Introduces All-New Insight Dedicated Hybrid Concept Vehicle at Paris Motor Show

PARIS, France, October 2, 2008—Honda Motor Co., Ltd. presented the concept model of its all-new Insight dedicated hybrid vehicle scheduled to be introduced in 2009, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show (October 2–19; Press Days: October 2–3).

Based on a theme of achieving dynamic performance through excellent aerodynamics, the exterior design of the Insight concept model combines excellent environmental performance and a fun to drive spirit. The compact Insight Concept measures 4,375 mm (172.2 in.) in length, 1,695 mm (66.7 in.) in width, and 1,425 mm (56.1 in.) in height, with specially designed, ultra-light aluminum wheels and 205/40 R18 tires. With a cockpit that enables the driver to experience the joy of driving, the interior of the Insight Concept provides an advanced and futuristic feeling that is possible only through a hybrid vehicle.

The all-new Insight, which will be developed based on this Insight Concept, will be a five-door, five-passenger hatchback equipped with Honda’s lightweight and compact hybrid system, with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine serving as the main power source, assisted by an electric motor. While achieving fuel economy on par with the Civic Hybrid, the new Insight will also achieve excellent utility and light and comfortable driving through the adoption of a new platform developed specifically for this vehicle. Honda will begin sales of the all-new Insight in Japan, Europe and North America in spring 2009, and projects annual global sales of 200,000 units.

In his speech at the Paris Motor Show, Honda Motor president & CEO Takeo Fukui said, “This new Insight will give more people the chance to get behind the wheel of a high quality hybrid vehicle only Honda can develop.”

The name Insight was chosen to denote that this new vehicle provides “insight” into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers.

Honda has no plans to rush into the plug-in hybrid market just yet. The automaker that is already leasing hydrogen vehicles like the FCX Clarity said that batteries aren’t advanced enough to make rechargeable vehicles a solid replacement for gasoline powered cars.

“For battery-powered vehicles to become more widespread, more popular in the market, we feel battery technology needs to advance further,” Masaaki Kato, president of Honda’s research unit, told Bloomberg.

Wonder what GM has to say about all this? The lithium-ion powered Chevrolet Volt will hit the market in late 2010. Kato says that lithium-ion powered vehicles won’t satisfy consumers since the batteries are costly and hold less than half the energy of gasoline.

Honda will show its Insight Hybrid Concept at the Paris Motor Show on Oct. 2nd.

Source: Bloomberg

Honda’s new Insight concept that we saw last week has been called the ‘Prius-killer’ and the ‘Prius-fighter’ amongst other things. Well, the Honda Insight sure looks a lot like the thing its trying to kill and fight, but according to Honda that’s just pure coincidence.

According to Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky: “It was done that way because it was the most aerodynamic design, and we were going for fuel economy.”

Schifsky says that the design for the Insight was mainly influenced by the FCX Clarity. The production version of the Honda CR-Z sport hybrid car will also look similar.

Honda Insight Concept Hybrid:

Source: Free Press

Honda surprised us all last week by giving us our first look at its upcoming Honda Insight Hybrid in concept form – which will debut to the public at the 2008 Paris Motor Show next month. But when will you see the final production version and when will it be available to purchase at a dealer near you?

Honda says that the Insight Hybrid Concept seen last week is a ‘near-production ready’ model. The five-door, five-passenger hatchback will U.S. hit showrooms in April 2009.

Honda plans on selling 200,000 units of the Insight Hybrid annually – 100,000 of which it hopes to come from the stateside. So far it is rumored that the production Insight hybrid will get near 60 mpg and will cost right below $19,000.

Honda Insight Concept Hybrid:

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Honda today revealed the Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle that it will show at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The new Insight Concept provides an early look at the upcoming 5-passenger hybrid car from Honda that will take on the Toyota Prius.

At a first look you might think “Hey, its a total rip-off from the Prius” – but let’s not forget that Honda was the one that started the hybrid craze with the Insight which also looked like cheese wedge.

Honda has said nothing about the technical details of the production model other than that it will arrive next spring with an expected annual global sales of 200,000 units – 100,000 of which are expected to come from the U.S. Honda also said that pricing of the new production Insight will be priced “significantly below hybrids available today” – meaning a price below $19,000 still holds.

Click through for the press release:

Honda Insight Concept Hybrid:

Press Release:

Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle to Debut at Paris International Auto Show

Honda will reveal a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle, to be named Insight, at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show, October 2, the company announced today. The new Insight Concept shares styling cues with the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and will provide an early look at the highly-anticipated five-passenger hybrid vehicle.

Going on sale in the U.S. next spring, the all-new purpose-built Insight will come to market at a price significantly below hybrids available today. From this unique position in the marketplace, the Insight will advance the affordability and accessibility of hybrid technology to a new generation of buyers.

“The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the U.S. and remains a symbol of Honda’s commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency,” said Takeo Fukui, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. CEO. “This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value.”

The Insight Concept defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology by utilizing a more cost-efficient version of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) hybrid technology, resulting in a new level of affordability for hybrid customers worldwide. Evoking the innovative styling cues first seen in the FCX Clarity, the Insight Concept is designed with a low center of gravity and a generous five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving pleasure and roomy interior that customers have come to expect from Honda. While the Insight Concept’s aerodynamic design clearly identifies its fuel efficient purpose, its five-door access and folding rear seats speak to functionality that is designed to meet the needs of customers with an active lifestyle. The Insight Concept is a small, fuel efficient hybrid car that delivers big style and functionality with a healthy dose of fun.

Honda achieved a significant cost reduction in Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) components which should make Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date. The production Insight will be offered as a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. Numerous technologies, including a function to assist customers in achieving more fuel efficient driving habits, will be applied to achieve a further improvement in real world fuel efficiency. With its affordable price, the new hybrid vehicle will represent the best value in its segment. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at the Suzuka factory in Japan.

The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year – approximately 100,000 in North America. Following the launch of the new Insight, Honda also plans to introduce another unique sporty hybrid vehicle based on the CR-Z, first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. All together, Honda’s global sales of hybrids should increase to approximately 500,000 units a year, or more than 10 percent of its total worldwide annual automobile sales.

The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999 as America’s first gas-electric hybrid car. The first vehicle to break the 70-mpg fuel economy barrier, Insight was designed from the ground up to demonstrate the ultimate potential for fuel-economy in a two-seater subcompact automobile.

A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced the first low-emission gasoline vehicles; America’s first gas-electric hybrid car and the world’s first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named “greenest automaker” by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.

We’ve heard and seen (spy shots) all there is to hear and see about Honda’s upcoming dedicated hybrid model that will compete with the Toyota Prius. Well, this Thursday Honda is expected to show a concept version of the model this Thursday (Sept. 4th).

The car is expected to make its production debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show - the same time Toyota will show its next-generation Prius and dedicated Lexus hybrid model. The concept version that we’ll see this Thursday will also be displayed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show later next month.

What do we know so far about the new Honda hybrid? Well for one, Honda is considering reviving the ‘Insight’ name once used for its first hybrid model which ended year-round production in 2006. Power will come from a 1.3 liter engine mated to a nickel metal hydride battery allowing for a fuel-economy of more than 60mpg.

Honda is targeting 100,000 units annually with prices starting under $19,000.

Source: Just-Auto (via CarScoop)

Honda’s new dedicated-hybrid only model will arrive on the market next year and it’s already making headlines. We saw spy shots of the hybrid earlier last month - sporting a Prius-like design – its main competitor.

Richard Colliver, executive vice president of Honda Motor Co. America, said that the new small-hybrid will be priced below the Prius. Colliver said that the hybrid, which is smaller than the Civic Hybrid, will arrive in April 2009.

“We’re targeting sales of 100,000 units of this new vehicle in North America,” Colliver said.

Power is expected to come from a 1.3 liter engine mated with a nickel metal hydride battery. According to insiders the ’small hybrid’ will get more than 60mpg.

Toyota sold more than 181,000 Prius hybrids last year and sold more than 106,00 this year.

Source: MSNBC

Honda seems to be the only major automaker making it through the tough times of high gasoline prices and for the future the Japanese automaker plans to keep doing what its doing – keeping compact and green. Honda plans to offer more hybrid and diesel technology in its future lineup which will also get smaller.

“A smaller minivan could fit into Honda’s future,” Dan Bonawitz, vice president for corporate planning and logistics at American Honda Motor Co., told Automotive News. ”Ultimately, there will be a lot more smaller cars. The U.S. will look a lot more like Europe.”

So far dealers are waiting on the arrive of the redesigned 2009 Honda Fit. A hybrid version of the Fit will arrive in 2011. Of course let’s the five-door hatchback that’s been keeping Honda in the headlines recently. The dedicated-hybrid model will arrive next year as a 2010 model year and will cost below $20,000.

Both of those hybrids will be followed by the Honda CR-Z hybrid that is due out in late 2011. The CR-Z will be followed by a redesigned Civic and Civic Hybrid along with a diesel powered Accord. The diesel engine will also make its way in the CR-V in 2010.

As for the gas-guzzling and larger models – the S2000 roadster’s future is unclear after sales have fallen off dramatically. The new redesign Pilot just hit the market this year and Honda has already cut production of the new SUV.

The Honda Ridgeline was just refreshed for the 2009 model year – the Element will see a redesign in 2010 along with the Odyssey. Another minivan, the Japanese Honda Stream, is expected to be imported to the U.S. by 2010 as a rival to the Mazda5.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

We learned earlier this week that the upcoming dedicated hybrid-only model will be priced under $19,000. According to InsideLine sources the compact 5-door hatchback sedan will debut at the 2008 Paris Auto Show in October.

Internally the car is known as the ‘New Dedicated Hybrid Vehicle’ or simply the ’small hybrid.’ Honda has been previously rumored to revive the old ‘Insight’ name. Don’t forget that the ’small hybrid’ is a part of Honda’s four new gas-electric hybrid models. Also in the works is the CR-Z Hybrid coupe, a Civic Hybrid and a hybrid version of the 2012 Fit. The Japanese automakers plans on selling 500,000 units by 2012.

Power will come from a 1.3 liter engine mated with a nickel metal hydride battery. According to insiders the ’small hybrid’ will get more than 60mpg.

Honda will produce about 200,000 units a year at its Suzuka plant with about half of that allocation coming to North America.

Source: InsideLine

Ready to hit showrooms by the end of 2009 Honda’s new dedicated hybrid model is already bringing some good news to those looking for a compact, fuel-efficient and most importantly an affordable car. We saw spy shots of the dedicated Honda hybrid earlier last month - sporting a very Prius-like design.

According to Honda’s Executive Vice President, Koichi Kondo, the hybrid system that will power the dedicated Honda hybrid will cost the Japanese automaker about half of what it costs to develop the hybrid system for the Civic hybrid.

Kondo said that the dedicated hybrid-model will be a 5-passenger car for family use with a size that fits between the Fit and the Civic. Design is said to be influenced by the Honda FCX Clarity.

The best part of it all?  Honda expects the new model to start at $18,500 in the U.S.

Source: Next Energy News (via KickingTires)

Honda has plans to reveal four new hybrid models by 2015 including a new dedicated hybrid, the next-generation Civic hybrid, a Fit hybrid and a hybrid based on the CR-Z concept. Seen here are spy shots of Honda’s dedicated hybrid model that will go head-to-head with the Prius.

Technical details are vague as of right now – but design wise, the Honda dedicated hybrid model seems to be taking very heavy design cues from the Toyota Prius. Either that or Honda is just trying to throw us off with Prius looking rear-end.

The new Honda dedicated hybrid model is expected to hit showrooms by the end of next year.

It’s been previously reported that Honda may revive the ‘Insight’ badge for its dedicated global hybrid. Makes sense – especially if it looks like that.

Source: InsideLine

Honda is preparing to add 4 hybrids to its future lineup including an updated Civic hybrid, a hybrid version of the Fit, a production version of the CR-Z hybrid concept and a new global hybrid. Even with 4 new hybrids to join the lineup Honda is being a bit conservative and says that it expects to sell 400,000 hybrids annually within by 2012.

Why do we think Honda is being conservative? Well the new global hybrid is expected to be the hottest and coolest thing from Honda since the Civic. According to Tokyo sources that are familiar with the project, the Japanese automaker is also considering reviving the ‘Insight’ badge for the global-green car.

Fuel-economy wise the new ‘Insight’ is expected to be rated well above today’s Civic Hybrid which gets a city/highway rating of 40/45 mpg. Japanese sources are saying the global hybrid can average anywhere from 71mpg to 82mpg.

Honda still has no plans to offer lithium-ion batteries and believes that they are still to unreliable for mass production. So the global hybrid will most likely get a nickel-hydride (NiMH) battery pack under the trunk floor. Sources say power will come from an under-rated version of the Civic Hybrid’s 1.3L 4-cylinder engine and will produce around 94-hp.

Pricing wise Honda is looking to offer the new ‘Insight under $19,000, well undercutting the Prius.

According to AutoObserver, the new Honda global-hybrid should debut around the Paris Motor Show or LA Motor Show in November.

Source: AutoObserver