Honda Insight: A 'designer' hybrid?

It has to be better.

Same engine, improved hybrid components, smaller/lighter overall, better aerodynamics (than the Civic hybrid).

Even a 10% improvement will put it closer to 50mpg.

nf

i rented the civic hybrid for 2 weeks in 2006. drove it in L.A. i was VERY disappointed! in the city, stop and go traffic, a hybrid should excel... the honda did NOT! i have like 27-30mpg after 2 weeks...

if the insight gets the same drive train, the IMA, then stay clear of this "hybrid", IMA is a mild hybrid, not capable of driving on electricity/battery mode itself, only capable of drving with the motor on, an in warm weather needs the motor on when standing for the A/C!

and i tried to drive mpg friendly, while getting the 27-30mpg with the civic hybrid...!!! coasting as much as i could, approaching stop signs with the foot off the gas pedal as early as possible...!!!

I think they had the choice between making it cost more and having great mileage, or giving it Civic Hybrid numbers and seeing how cheap they could produce it. They went with the latter.

So for about the same price as a non-hybrid civic, you can have this. What are we complaining about?

Sorry for your experience smokeonit. I'll have a Pabst for you later tonight. FWIW, I do better than that on a non-hybrid Civic, so something was up. I wonder if your rental had some hard miles before you got it?

It does sport an attractive roofline and hatch, at least.

I have two Honda Civic Hybrids. The family car that is mostly city driving has a lifetime mpg average of 41mpg. The commuter car has a lifetime average of 44mpg. That includes Nebraska winters.

The Civic is not mild in the sense that a Malibu Hybrid is. Go check some real world numbers. GreenHybrid.com keeps a giant database of all it's user's mpg. The Prius's average is 48mpg and the Civic Hybrid's is 46mpg.

I expect the Insight II to average closer to 50mpg.

nf

Honda sells 32,000 Civic hybrids a year, while Toyota sells 181,000 Prius hybrids a year.
What's hard to understand about that? You can't spend money putting technology in an existing package. It needs to go into its own package.

This car should get slightly better overall milage vs the Civic Hybrid going by all the small details that Ive read. The one important figure I have yet to see is its weight. It should be less than the Civic Hybrid but Im unsure.

Quote from Mr. Takeo Fukui:

"Today, we introduce a hybrid vehicle concept model... the all-new Honda Insight... that takes this principle into action. The original Insight was a 2-seat subcompact car. Introduced in 1999, it was a pioneer for petrol-electric hybrid technology in Europe and North America... as the very first commercially available hybrid car in these markets. We applied new technologies to achieve the number one fuel efficiency in the industry. These included the ultimate in aerodynamic design... an all-aluminum body and new processes for aluminum body production... and the compact IMA hybrid system.

The all-new Honda Insight will also be a pioneer... challenging to take hybrid technology into a new era of affordability. This new Insight will give more people the chance to get behind the wheel of a high quality hybrid vehicle only Honda can develop. Following the advanced aerodynamic design of FCX Clarity, Insight is a 5-seat 5-door hatchback... with room for a family.

We are developing this vehicle to achieve excellent fuel efficiency on par with Civic Hybrid... but at a significantly reduced price. The new Insight is equipped with a hybrid system that combines a lightweight and compact 1.3-liter engine with a motor that will achieve excellent fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

We created a newly developed platform with the control unit and battery under the cargo space. As a result, Insight achieves excellent utility together with light and comfortable driving feel to offer a "Fun to Drive" spirit.

This new Insight represents the further advance of our concept of offering a hybrid for everyone. We have further reduced the weight and size of the hybrid system. And we have improved and strengthened our production system to further reduce the cost of our hybrid system."

As per the question: is this a designer hybrid?
Yes. Whether this Honda can out-mileage a Prius isn't really important. Nobody really cares who gets 48mpg and who gets 50mpg. People aren't going to trade in their Prii for Insights. People will buy this because it's the new kid on the block. Period.

Are American car companies still stuck in the "normal cars shouldn't have design" and "luxury cars are designed" kind of idiot phase that has lead to their near demise?
Even the car companies, ahem, GM, have gotten past that.

All cars should be designer. There's no reason to not hire actual artists to craft shapes. The Japanese and German companies have full lines of designer products down to the switches and switch trim and panel curver and corner treatment.
GM is almost there, they just have to start styling switches too. Which the next Saturn Aura will have.

Looking at a Trailblazer interior and a Enclave interior today, what a difference.

Designer is right. It's common knowledge that many if not all Prius drivers own a Prius because they want to be seen as "Environmentaly responsible". It's "cool" to own a Prius even though it costs much more overall to own than a Corrola or Yaris. The Insight's advantage over a Prius is price (hopefully) and what I feel is Honda's ability to make more likeable cars.

We are still looking @ the Concept. How much of this car will translate to the production vehicle? We will know that when the NAIAS press days are in full swing! Hopefully sooner ,but, I doubt that will occur!!!!!!!!!