Road Test : Honda Insight

Review by Jay Williams - 10/May/2011

The Honda Insight was specifically designed to make hybrid technology more affordable to a wide range of buyers. Departing from the first generation Insight's two-seater configuration, the new Honda Insight is a 5-passenger, 5-door dedicated hybrid vehicle that includes the fifth generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid powertrain.

Toyota has held a large share of the hybrid car market ever since the launch of its Prius back in 1997. Toyota remained the main player in the hybrid segment up until 1999 when Honda released its first generation Insight, but, with little successs selling under 18,000 units worldwide. 

Since then, with the release of Honda's second generation Insight, the hybrid model has been making its way up in the market.

So, what's this enviro-conscious hybrid like to drive I hear you ask? Let's find out.

Drive: 3/5

Sliding in behind the wheel of the Honda Insight you are greeted with the usual array of utensils : steering wheel - check, gear leaver - check, hand brake - check. After a few moments of driving the hybrid, I realised that its not much different from your average small car, until you pull up to the first set of traffic lights that is...

The car shuts the engine off and you are left in complete silence, it is quite an eerie feeling.

Taking off from the lights the Honda Insight has some usable torque low down thanks to it's 10kW electric motor that instantly assists the car from a standing start. 

I found the Insight to be quite zippy in and around traffic, even when the green "ECON" button was on. Turn that button off and the Honda Insight becomes sportier and more spirited to drive.

You won't win any races driving the Insight, but you will save on fuel.

The Honda Insight feels at home cruising along the freeway at 100km/h with cruise control turned on, Honda claim that the Insight consumes 4.6L per 100km, this may be correct given the right conditions, but we managed closer to 5.0 - 5.3-litres per 100km which isn't too bad.

However, its not all good, in order to achieve better fuel economy Honda had to take measures in keeping overall weight down, this results in a car that doesn't feel settled on the road at times and makes you feel a little uneasy while tackling corners at speed.

The light steering doesn't help matters either and doesn't let you feel what the car is doing. In saying that, the Honda Insight is still comfortable and spacious enough for a small family.

Engine: 3/5

Powering the new Insight is a 1.3-litre four-cylinder i-VTEC petrol-electric engine with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) which when combined, produce 72kW at 5800 rpm and 167Nm of torque at 1000-1700 rpm. This is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The electric motor, positioned between the engine and the continuously variable transmission, contributes up to 10 kilowatts at 1,500 rpm and 78 Newton metres at 1000 rpm to the Insight’s powertrain, assisting in acceleration and cruising at low-to-mid vehicle speeds (depending on conditions) as well as re-capturing energy from the vehicle's forward momentum during braking.

The seven-module battery system is comprised of 84 individual 1.2 volt cells for a total battery system output of 100.8 volts and a capacity of 5.75 ampere-hours. Compared to the fourth-generation IMA battery technology in the 2006 Civic Hybrid, power output per module is 30 percent higher, allowing for a decrease in modules from 11 to 7. The changes allowed the overall IPU size to be reduced by 19 percent and overall weight by 28 percent. This decreased size and weight along with the corresponding reduced use of materials have also resulted in a battery with a lower lifetime environmental burden.

Honda's new Insight also introduces an all-new Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist) to help drivers achieve better fuel economy. Eco Assist is a driver-selected fuel efficiency feature. Pressing the ECON button enhances the Insight’s efficiency, altering throttle control, CVT operation, idle stop duration, air-conditioning and cruise control.

Eco Assist also provides driving style coaching via a 3D background within the speedometer that changes colour to reflect how efficiently the driver is accelerating and braking. Results are continuously tracked as fuel economy ratings and are shown in the form of trees and leaves that appear in the Multi-Information Display. Up to five leaves can be "earned' when the driver achieves a fuel-efficient driving style.

Exterior: 3/5

Based on the Honda Jazz, the Insight's exterior design merges design cues from both the first generation Insight (the tapered tail and triangular taillights) and the US-only Honda Clarity fuel-cell delight.

Honda chose a 5-door hatchback configuration for the latest Insight to enhance marketability. The wedge-shaped body assists aerodynamics and reduces drag for improved fuel economy. The overall vehicle shape, as Honda puts it, is "clearly identifiable as a hybrid."

The sleek styling of the Honda Insight gives the car a futuristic feel without being over the top.

Interior: 3/5

Inside the Honda Insight feels very much like the Honda Civic, with dark grey and black patterned cloth covering most of the interior. The multi function steering wheel is also lifted out of the Civic.

The entry level VTi Insight's standard features include, a host of active and passive safety features like six airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, cruise control, ABS brakes with EBD and brake assist.

There is also a raft of creature comforts as well, climate control air conditioning, keyless entry, security alarm, six speaker audio with steering wheel mounted controls, USB and auxiliary ports, reversing sensors and luggage blind featuring.

Top-of-the-range and more expensive VTi-L model gains, auto wipers, side indicators on door mirrors, auto headlights, auto up/down front windows, 16-inch alloys, leather steering wheel, fog lights and satellite navigation with bluetooth and reversing camera.

Overall: 3/5

Although the Honda Insight is 10 odd grand less than the Toyota Prius and the 'eco' tag may seem appealing to some, the point of a "Hybrid" is to reduce fossil fuel consumption, and therefore contribute in a small way to "saving the planet". 

But, the Honda Insight achieved 5.3-litres per 100km which isn't exactly a ground breaking figure, when you take into consideration that a Ford Fiesta Eco manages 4.8-litres per 100km and even some diesel models achieve a better fuel rating than this. 

It's this reason why I find it hard to see why people would fork out the extra money for something that isn't really doing that much more to save the environment.

The Honda Insight is a good car to drive and it will save you money at the fuel pump, but it is still a bit on the expensive side.