Thanks to some new friction-reducing tactics for both the engine and the CVT transmission, Honda said the new Insight is now capable of up to 42 mpg versus the outgoing 41 mpg, making it the most fuel efficient vehicle under $20,000.

The tech gets updated too with an improved version of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist as part of the original 1.3L i-VTEC four-banger that’s mated to a 10kW electric motor. The result is a combined rating of 98 total hp and 123 lb-ft of torque, no change from the original model.

Click here for more news on the Honda Insight.

The 2012 Honda Insight’s interior also gets sup upgrades including a reconfigured rear seat area for better leg and head room; a redesigned gauge cluster background with a more technically sophisticated appearance; reshaped center-console beverage holders that accommodate larger drinks; and a more supportive front armrest (Insight LX and EX).

Check out more details here.

- By: Chris Chin

At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Honda will launch the 2012 Insight Hybrid, which is now even more fuel-efficient producing just 96 g/km of CO2 - 57 mpg on the European cycle.

“Fuel economy and emissions have been improved by means of enhanced aerodynamics and powertrain efficiency,” Honda said in a statement. “Reduced engine friction , Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) and better air conditioning, benefiting from a new cold storage system, all contribute to lower fuel consumption.”

The 2012 Honda Insight also gets a refreshed exterior, some upgrades to the interior and adjustments to the suspension for an overall enhancement of the ride comfort and stability.

So far, Honda has just released one image you see above along with everything you read here. Full technical details will be released later this month.

- By: Omar Rana

2011 Honda Insight

The Honda Insight was never really the brightest or most attractive hybrid option in the segment. However, after two years of sluggish sales, the second-generation Honda Insight is seeing a boost in sales thanks to  high gas prices, increased advertising and the spring-car-buying season.

Ward’s data shows that sales of the Honda Insight increased 62.2 percent to 2,782 units in March 2011. That’s the largest monthly increase for the Insight since March 2010, when deliveries climbed 179.2 percent compared with march 2009.

Click here for more news on the Honda Insight.

If that wasn’t enough to make Honda happy, the Insight’s sales last month outpaced the 52 percent increase for the Toyota Prius. Nonetheless, the Toyota Prius still remains the hybrid king with 42,779 units sold in the first quarter of 2011 while Honda sold just 6,058 units of the Insight.

“You’ve heard this bromide before, (but) when fuel prices go up, people think of Honda,” American Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel said.

Click here for our review of the 2010 Honda Insight.

Review: 2010 Honda Insight:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Wards Auto

Toyota spent most of February tossing and turning in its sleep over competition from the new 2010 Honda Insight. Honda’s new hybrid was the best-selling model in Japan in April; marking the first time a hybrid has held the spot for a monthly sales period. Well, Toyota can now sleep peacefully at night. 

For the month of May, Toyota’s 2010 Prius sales beat the Insight, becoming the best-selling car in Japan for the month.

“I think a green car tax break and other incentives helped the sales performance (of the Prius) quite a bit,” Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer for the new Prius, told reporters.

The 2010 Toyota Prius went on sale on May 18 and was priced about $3,000 less than the outgoing model. Toyota says there were more than 80,000 advance orders for the third-generation model. Towards the end of May, Toyota announced that it will be increasing production of the 2010 Prius to meet better-than-expected demand.

We’re guessing all the Japanese folks listened to Clarkson when he called the Honda Insight ‘Biblically terrible.’ Nonetheless, Honda is planning to have four gasoline-electric hybrids on the road by 2012 including the CR-Z hybrid and a Fit hybrid.

2010 Toyota Prius:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Reuters

The 2010 Honda Insight is the first of four gasoline-electric hybrids Honda has planned to bring to the roads by 2012. Early next year, Honda will unveil the production version of the much-anticipated CR-Z sports hybrid. That will be followed by a hybrid version of the Fit and the next-generation Civic Hybrid.

According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily, the Honda Fit subcompact hybrid will arrive in the autumn of 2010 followed by the next Civic Hybrid.

The 2010 Honda Insight hybrid, which is priced at 1.89 million yen ($19,960 USD), became the first hybrid ever to top the best-seller list in Japan in April 2009. Without citing any sources, Nikkei said that the Honda Fit Hybrid will carry a price tag of 1.5 million yen ($15,800 USD). Expected annual sales are estimated at over 50,000 units.

Spokeswoman Akemi Ando said that Honda has yet to decide on the schedule, price or sales target for the Fit Hybrid.

At this point, you guys are probably wondering what Toyota has up their sleeve to compete with the Honda Fit hybrid. As Toyota continues to fight the 2010 Honda Insight with the 2010 Toyota Prius, Toyota is also working on a hybrid version of the Yaris.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Reuters

So for what you’ve read about the Honda Insight is all bells and whistles about the hybrids fuel-economy and its ability to tell you how “green” you’re driving. However, rarely has any journalist commented on what the 2010 Honda Insight is like as a car that moves you from point A to point B – until now.

Jeremy Clarkson, host of our favorite TV show Top Gear, recently wrote a review on Honda’s latest hybrid offering over at TimesOnline. Here’s what Clarkson had to say about the Insight.

So here goes. It”s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It”s the first car I”ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn”t have to drive it any more. The biggest problem, and it”s taken me a while to work this out, because all the other problems are so vast and so cancerous, is the gearbox. For reasons known only to itself, Honda has fitted the Insight with something called constantly variable transmission (CVT). 

You can read the rest of Clarkson review over at TimesOnline by clicking here.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

- By: Omar Rana

The 2010 Honda Insight hybrid, which went on sale in Japan on February 6, has been ranked the industry’s best-selling new car in Japan for the month of April. Honda sold a total of 10,481 units of the Insight, making it the first time a hybrid model has held the spot in Japan for a monthly sales period.

Honda said that its Fit was the best selling new car in Japan in 2008 and the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009. Fit was also the best-selling car in March for the fourth consecutive month until it was knocked out by the Insight.

Toyota has made it clear that it is aware of the challenges set forth with Honda’s new hybrid.

In the U.S., pricing for the 2010 Toyota Prius starts at $21,750, $1,280 more than the $20,470 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

- By: Kap Shah

Just two days ago, it was reported that Toyota will lower the price of the 2010 Prius in Japan to make the hybrid more competitive with the 2010 Honda Insight. Today, Honda’s CEO Takeo Fukui said that he will not lower the price on Insight anymore.

“I don’t think that would be meaningful to do so,” Fukui told Automotive News. ”I think that is something we can’t do right now,” he said. “We have to carefully examine the new Prius to know whether it is necessary for us to take certain measures.”

Dealers in Japan have said that the 2010 Prius will carry a starting price tag of 2.05 million yen ($20,750 USD).

Fukui also said that Honda is working on a hybrid drivetrain for larger cars and will abandon previous targets to rely on clean diesels in the large vehicle segment.

Next year Honda will also launch the CR-Z hybrid along with a hybrid version of the Fit.

2010 Honda Insight:

2010 Toyota Prius:

- By Omar Rana

Toyota has notified its Japanese dealers that it will price the new 2010 Toyota price at 2.05 million yen ($20,750 USD) which is right on par with the new 2010 Honda Insight. The move is Toyota’s latest response in the hybrid war between the Prius and Honda Insight.

Still, that might not be enough to entice treehuggers to go with the Prius over the Insight. Japanese dealers say that the base model of the 2010 Pius starts at 2.05 million yen ($20,750 USD) which is the same as a middle-trim Insight. The top-of-the-line 2010 Insight goes for 2.21 million yen ($22,370 USD) while the Prius runs all the way up to 3.27 million yen ($33,100 USD).

No word on whether if Toyota will make the same move in the U.S., but according to Automotive News, aggressive U.S. pricing is very likely. The 2010 Honda Insight went on sale in the U.S. in March with prices starting at $20,470. The third-generation 2010 Prius is expected to start around $24,000.

The current Toyota Prius starts at 2.331 million yen ($23,590 USD) in Japan.

2010 Toyota Prius:

2010 Honda Insight:

- By: Kap Shah

Honda’s Insight hybrid is a huge hit and Japan. Barley on sale for a week in the U.S., the Insight has becoming a big love-interest for treehuggers – so much so that Honda is already working on increasing output for the hybrid in North America.

According to Automotive News, Honda is already turning out 600 units of the Insight a day with half of them being left-hand drive units. Nonetheless, executives say that production outside of Japan is long ways off. The Honda Insight is currently rolling off the line at Honda’s Suzuka plant. Line 1, which is the only Honda line making hybrid vehicles, is also responsible for production of the Civic and the Fit.

The Honda Insight went on sale in Japan on Feb 6. and has racked up more than 21,000 orders since. That number is nearly triple Honda’s domestic sales target of 5,000 units a month.

Honda is looking to sell 200,000 units of the Insight annually, with 100,000 coming from North America.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

- By: Omar Rana

According to a report by Nikkei business daily, Toyota is planning to produce a new low-price hybrid aimed at Honda’s Insight that was recently launched in Japan with prices starting under 1.80 million yen (under $19,000 USD).

Honda said that 18,000 units of the Insight were ordered during its first month of sales, which is more than three times the company’s monthly target of 5,000. Of course, that was a major scare for domestic rival Toyota.

Sources say the new and cheaper Toyota hybrid will carry a smaller engine than the Prius’ 1.5 liter.

Toyota’s new gasoline-electric hybrid is expected to hit the market as early as 2011 in Japan with prices to start 20 to 30 percent below the Toyota Prius which starts at 2.33 million yen (about $23,000 USD). Insiders said that sales may expand to other markets.

Toyota’s 2010 Prius goes on sale in May with a starting price tag of 2.05 million yen (around $20,000 USD).

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Forbes

Honda has finally announced the pricing details on the new 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid. As most of you already know, power comes from a 1.3L i-VTEC engine mated to a 10-kw electric motor allowing for an EPA estimated fuel-economy of 40/43 mpg (city/highway).

The 2010 Insight will be available in three trim levels including LX, EX and EX with Navi. Starting at $19,800(plus $670 in handling and destination charges), buyers can opt for the 2010 Honda Insight LX. The Insight EX starts at $21,300 and gives you premium features like alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface3; a center console with armrest and storage compartment; and heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals. The Insight EX with Navi will start at $23,100.

The 2010 Honda Insight goes on sale next month.

Follow the jump for the press release and the high-res image gallery.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

Press Release:

All-new Honda Insight Starts Under $20,000; Becomes Most Affordable New Hybrid Available in the U.S.

Insight targets entry segment as gateway to hybrid technology

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on-sale March 24 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price1 (MSRP) of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC® gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallonn2. The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

“The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers.”

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight’s highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Major features standard to the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist; automatic climate control; tilt and telescope steering column; manual driver’s seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.

A more premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX, with a MSRP of $21,300, adds to the Insight LX features with Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®); alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface3; a center console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and much more. Exclusively available on the Insight EX, the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System4 (6.5-inch screen) with voice recognition provides routing and guidance to individual addresses and more than 7 million points of interest within the continental United States. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® for hands-free operation of compatible mobile telephones, along with related steering wheel-mounted controls for voice activation of navigation and hands-free telephone systems.

A 4-cylinder engine with intelligent variable valve timing and a DC brushless electric motor forms the foundation of the IMA hybrid system. The electric motor, positioned in-line between the engine and the transmission, adds power during acceleration and in certain cruising situations, and recaptures energy from the vehicle’s forward momentum during braking (regenerative braking).

The Insight’s IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed cruising conditions. It can also provide cylinder deactivation during deceleration and an idle-stop feature when the vehicle is stationary. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range exceeding 400 miles. Models for sale in California and states that have adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ZEV standards receive an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) emissions rating.

The Insight introduces Eco Assist to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing the ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems: throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation (EX only). Eco Assist also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colors from green to blue to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking (green = efficient). The driver’s results are continuously tracked as fuel-economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Up to five leaves can be “˜earned’ as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style. A real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide MID screen.

Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side-curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver’s and front-passenger’s active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved frontal-crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height.

Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America’s first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, the world’s most advanced production fuel-cell automobile.

2010 Honda Insight Pricing and EPA Data

Honda’s deputy chief operating officer for its domestic (meaning Japanese) operations said that the automaker plans on producing more units of the Insight Hybrid starting April. Hiroshi Kobayashi said that Honda has received almost three times its monthly target for the Insight Hybrid which went on sale in Japan on Feb. 6.

Over the next two months, the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid will make its way to the European and North American markets. Honda plans on selling 200,000 units of the Insight globally. It expects more than half of that number to come from North America.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Kobayashi told Automotive News. “We will have to increase production plans.”

Kobayashi didn’t say how much Honda will expand output for the Insight. He said that customers in Japan who have ordered the car will have to wait at least one month. The 2010 Honda Insight costs 1.89 million yen ($19,980) in Japan.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

The 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid is seeing strong demand in its home market of Japan. The 1.89 million yen ($21,000 USD) went on sale in Japan on Feb. 6 and has already received more than 5,000 orders.

“This is so much better than expected. The Insight is priced below 2 million yen, and is energy efficient. We believe consumers like these aspects,” said Honda spokeswoman Natsuno Asanuma.

The 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid will make its U.S. and European debut in March. Honda plans on pricing the U.S. spec Insight right around $19,000, cheaper than the Civic Hybrid.

Powered by a 1.3 SOHC i-VTEC engine mated to a CVT transmission and Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology, the Insight Hybrid returns an estimated 40/43 mpg (city/highway). It has a driving range of more than 400 miles on a full tank.

2010 Honda Insight Hybrid:

Source: Detroit Free Press

There isn’t much of Honda’s lineup that tuner Mugen hasn’t made an attempt to make more appealing and aggressive. The latest Honda model to receive Mugen treatment is none other than the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid.

In order to improve air flow, Mugen has added a front under spoiler, a front sports grille, side spoilers, a rear wing, a rear under spoiler and sports silencers. Mugen is also offering two sets of aluminum wheels ranging from 15 to 16 inches.

Want to cash out some more green? Mugen is offering an Intelligent-Tire Condition Monitoring System and a sports suspension.

Mugen Honda Insight Hybrid:

Source: Mugen

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:

The two largest Japanese automakers, Toyota and Honda, came to Detroit this past weekend with two new hybrid vehicles. The 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid vehicles will hit dealerships in April going head-to-head with each other. If you’re currently in the market for a hybrid – we want to know which one you would be interested in purchasing come April.

The all-new 2010 Toyota Prius is powered by 1.8L 4-cylinder engine that produces 98-hp. Total horsepower comes in at 134-hp with Toyota’s hybrid system allowing for a combined fuel-economy of 50 mpg. The 2010 Honda Insight, on the other hand, is 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.

What’s the price tag on each hybrid you ask? Well, Honda and Toyota have yet to reveal pricing but Honda says that the Insight will be priced below the Civic Hybrid which starts at $23,650. We’re guessing that the 2010 Prius will be priced somewhere around the current Prius which starts at $22,000.

Cast your vote in the poll below and if you have something to say – let your voice be heard in the comments section below.

Follow the jump for the high-res image gallery on both models.

2010 Honda Insight:

2010 Toyota Prius: