Click for hi-res photo
This is Honda’s second take on a hybrid-only car, to be shown in concept form first at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The production version of the second generation “Cadillac of hybrids” (as John Travolta’s character called it in the movie Be Cool) the Honda Insight will on sale in April 2009.
Honda UK’s environmental manager John Kingston said earlier this week that this car will change customer’s perception of hybrids thanks to real economical savings compared to just that mostly “green” feeling that other hybrids give.
The 5-door, 5-seater hatchback car will locate the battery and control unit beneath the cargo space. Like Honda’s previous IMA system it will feature an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for assistance. Honda also claims significant cost and weight reduction with the new car, allowing the hybrid to reach more customers.
The new Insight Concept will be displayed alongside Honda’s two other alternative fuel/hybrid cars – the Honda CR-Z lightweight sports car concept and the Honda FCX Clarity. Look for one more shot of the cars after the jump.
Click for hi-res photo
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
first!!… super cool design
Glad they dropped the ‘covered rear wheel arch’ design that makes the 1st Gen Insight ugly. Looks much better now.
Ahh, 2nd generation finally came out!
The Insight was actually quite a nice car to drive in the city. Its a pity it only sat 2. I drove my colleague’s 2001 model on more than one occasion.
She traded that in for Prius recently as she wanted something with more than 2 seats, but the Insight has been reliable and trouble free.
This new Insight really apes the Prius, which is logical, since both is competing for the same piece of pie.
why the hell did they make another egg shaped car that looks like the prius, this looks cool, but all concepts look cool….
too many LED
i heard that it’s price will be lower than that of prius and civic hybrid… again… this is a concept.. anything can happen between then and the real production version. let’s hope the LEDs been reduce and let’s hope that the real production version will be much alike the concept version because i honestly think it is very beautiful, futuristic looking and cool… it does look prius-ish, shapewise but again, it’s for the car’s benefit. research proves that the streamline shape will significantly reduce the Coefficient of Drag, (Cd) which will help in further reduce the fuel usage of the car… I also heard that it’ll feature 70mpg(imp) on a combined cycle… for the record, VWPolo BlueMotion does 74mpg (manufacturer’s claimed) on a combined cycle with its 3cylinder diesel engine… it’s about time someone put a diesel-electric powerplant configuration in a hybrid car… hmmmmmmmmmmm…….
Wish they had the previous model’s covered rear wheels. That looked really cool and it reduced drag. Anyways it looks alot like the prius now :-S
choosing btwn ecomomical cars are usually either hybrid or a small diesel, so why not make a hybrid car? that will surely give even lower emission levels…so far the only diesel hybrids are Japanese light trucks like Hinos and a Komatsu excavator
urgh i mean why not a hybrid diesel…
has cues from the prius!
the ass.
It looks a lot like a new generation of Honda Stream…though they could do something with the rear end…
i hate prius’s design, and this car looks like prius, so i hate it also even though it honda… should hybrid car look like this???
thanks to the yanks, future cars look like the hunchback of notre dame
yea..the 1st pic kinda remind me of toyota prius..hmm
will this be sold in Malaysia or UK only?