2010 Honda Insight: The bargain hybrid on the move

For ten years now, Honda and Toyota have been slugging it out over hybrid vehicles. Although the now famous Prius was the first to come out in Japan, Honda played the pioneering role in North America with its 2000 Insight. The Prius only came in the wave of 2001 models. No vehicle has yet been able to completely match the first Insight’s fuel economy, which was 3.9 L/100 km in town and 3.2 on the highway. In any case, this funny little coupe proved that buyers aren’t really interested in a two-seater on narrow tires with bizarre aprons covering the rear wheels. Moreover, despite its youthful folly, the Prius was a sedan and it won the first round of this bout handily.

A second strike and counter-attack

Toyota widened the gap even more with the launch of an improved second generation Prius. Meanwhile, Honda failed with a hybrid Accord sedan that was more high performance than it was frugal and a Civic Hybrid that sold poorly despite its attractive price for a hybrid. Honda’s latest response comes this year in the form of a new Insight whose contours were actually inspired by the fuel-cell powered Honda FCX Clarity, and yet are vaguely reminiscent of those of its rival. This time it’s a five-seat compact sedan hatchback built on a version of the platform used for the Fit. This war is about image, marketing and technology, and Honda chose to give its new hybrid car eco-futuristic characteristics. It’s also playing the green card more directly with a dashboard that emphasizes fuel consumption, the remaining charge in the battery and the workings of the hybrid mechanics.

In keeping with its philosophy, Honda stayed true to its IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) technology, which uses an engine/electric generator integrated with the propulsion chain rather than one or several separate electric engines like Toyota does. It’s surely a simpler and less costly solution. Honda has also found an ingenious way to use electric propulsion by disengaging the heat engine’s cylinders specifically when the car is at a constant speed on a flat surface at about 45 km/hr.

But most of all, Honda has scored publicity points by setting the price of the Insight LX at $23,900 – several thousand dollars less than the new Prius – thus making it the least expensive hybrid on the market right now. The third generation Prius is roomier and more powerful than the Insight, but comparisons continue to be made.

Sibling rivalry?

Comparisons are also inevitable between Honda’s two most affordable compacts: the Fit and the Insight. It’s a very difficult direct comparison if you look only at the numbers since the Fit is a remarkably spacious and practical little car, more so even than its hybrid sister, which does not feature the same delightful adjustable folding rear bench. The Insight’s hybrid battery (even though it’s 19 % smaller and 28 % lighter than that of the current Civic Hybrid) had to go somewhere. Its rear bench folds down in asymmetrical sections (60/40) and there’s storage under the rear floor. The cargo hold is easily accessible from the hatch, well finished and very practical.

The Fit also features better power and performance than the Insight, with 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine featuring 117 horses. The Insight’s heat engine has a 1.3 litre capacity for a nominal 88 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and a torque of 88 lbs.-ft. at 4,500 rpm. However, the complete powertrain features 98 horses and a maximum torque of 123 lbs-ft at only 1,000 rpm, thanks to the electric motor’s contribution. The Fit’s maximum torque is 106 lbs.-ft. at 4,800 rpm. The bottom line is that the new Insight isn’t as frugal as the first, but at 4.8 L/100 km in town and 4.5 L/100 km on the highway, it remains among the best in terms of fuel consumption. The Fit’s numbers are 7.1 L/100 km in town and 5.5 L/100 km on the highway.

Beyond the numbers

As for performance, the Insight LX goes from 0-100 km/hr in 12 seconds, while a Fit equipped with the automatic gearbox covers the same distance in an only slightly faster 11.3 seconds. These two are comparable since the Insight only comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Insight EX features steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that only work for the engine brake that is offered by the virtual gears. How much time it will take to make up for the difference in the purchase prices of a Fit and an Insight will depend on the price of gas, kilometres per year and also on the proportion of driving done in town. That’s where the advantage of a hybrid car is most noticeable, thanks to the electric motor and the heat engine’s automatic shut down mechanism, but it will still take several years to make up the price difference between an Insight EX and a Fit LX with similar equipment.

Since the point of a hybrid car is to reduce both emissions and fuel consumption, it must be said that the Insight’s technology meets the Tier 2 Bin 3 Canadian standard but is also AT PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) approved since it meets CARB’s rigorous California standards. The only cleaner cars are the FCX Clarity, the Tesla and other similar cars that consume only hydrogen or electricity. The Fit’s engine meets the Tier 2 Bin 5 standard, which is respectable but simply not in the same league as the Insight.

Behind the wheel of both Insights

That’s all well and good, but you also have to know how these hybrids do under normal driving conditions. First, I drove a fully loaded EX at an Eco-Rally that took us from Quebec City’s Lower Town to Cap-à-l’Aigle. Unlike my colleagues, I brought the same car back to its next day’s departure point to see what the difference in fuel consumption would be between a one-way done as part of this rally (where frugality is the name of the game) and a return done under normal conditions (with the AC and headlights on, for instance). We averaged 5.0 L/100 km on the outbound, and 5.3 L/100 km on the return, over a distance of 170 km, and the two trips had some differences in ground level. The Insight EX and its tiny  engine truly struggled in the unending climbs of the Charlevoix region, and the car doesn’t have the electric muscle of a Ford Fusion Hybrid either.

When I returned from the Eco-Rally, I also drove an LX during the usual week-long test drive. The EX comes with a bunch of accessories that justify the current $3,600 price difference (anti-skid control, navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, USB jack, alloy rims, etc.) but the only piece of what I consider essential equipment that the LX lacks is a retractable screen for the cargo hold. It is comfortable and its suspension is just firm enough, but the noise is very loud on a rough roadway. On the other hand, handling is average. The Insight proved rather sensitive to the wind and tended to get caught in ruts in the road easily. It recorded an actual fuel consumption of 4.9 L/100 km on a 200 km drive in the Eastern Townships on a largely uneven surface.

The driver’s seat is stylish, with firm (but not too firm) cushions. After several hours or several hundred kilometres, you’ll start to find the seat back without adjustable lumbar support hard. The short turning circle is a real bonus in town. And while looking out the back when parking can be tough at first (because the ridge of the hatch splits the view), you’ll quickly appreciate the view that the lower window offers compared to most vehicles. However, the miniscule wiper on the hatch is almost useless.

This new Insight is much better armed than its granddaddy was to take on its nemesis, especially with the LX version’s price. Simple, practical and well made, these typical Hondas will without a doubt turn out to be just as reliable. Their performance is normal and their hybrid technology won’t force you to make many sacrifices in exchange for much lower fuel consumption and much fewer emissions.

In the Insight, you’ll quickly get into this new game of frugality, but be careful not to start obsessively watching the actual fuel consumption on the clear and playful dashboard. That said, it does provide a new way to have fun while driving without compelling you to break the rules and risk seeing police lights flash in your rearview. Going green has never been cheaper and more fun. You just have to want it…