Insight looks like normal car … normal Civic car
20 years after first model, Honda has designed a hybrid for the masses
IT seems to have taken Honda quite some time — nearly two decades — to dial in the Insight hybrid to what it should be: a comfortable, thrifty and roomy ride.
The original two-door Insight hatchback (2000-’06) was indeed efficient, but it was too tiny and weird looking to gain much of following. The second-gen four-door hatchback (2010-’14) was practical, but it was a lackluster driving machine and ultimately no match for the Toyota Prius in terms of fuel economy and sales.
The current Insight has given Honda a measure of redemption. It also provides a triple threat in the gasoline-electric category, alongside the Accord Hybrid and Clarity plug-in.
The Insight could easily have been called the Civic Hybrid since only minor adjustments were made to that model’s body structure, sheetmetal and grille/led headlight combination. The Insight’s interior
is more upscale that the Civic’s, with transmission-control switches on the center console replacing the traditional gearshift handle.
It’s the same size in there, too, and the front seats are supportive. The battery is discreetly packaged down low so that the rear seatbacks can still be folded forward for extra passthrough cargo space. The Insight looks and feels just like a normal car … a normal Civic car.
The powertrain consists of a
99-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine plus two electric motors. The four-cylinder’s main job is to generate electricity for the battery pack.
The electric drive motor generates 129 horsepower and 197 pound-feet of torque, and the secondary electric motor acts as a starter as well as a generator. Net system output is 151 horsepower.
The uniqueness is that the gasoline engine only operates on its
own when the Insight is cruising at steady-state highway speeds. Otherwise, the electric drive motor does the heavy lifting, propelling the front wheels by itself via a direct-drive controller. The four-cylinder’s key role is to generate electricity for the battery pack.
In EV Drive mode, the electric motor is working solo, but only for about a mile or so before the gasoline engine kicks in to replenish the batteries. Low-speed stop-and-go traffic is when EV Drive comes in handy.
Regardless of mode, the system works so seamlessly that the only time you hear any appreciable noise is when you get aggressive with the throttle, which raises the pitch of the four-cylinder engine. It sounds like there’s a continuously variable transmission working, but that’s not the case. A special lock-up clutch is used to direct electric torque to the front wheels while the four-cylinder revs up to create more electricity.
Fuel economy rings in at 52 mpg in combined city/highway driving, a bit lower in Sport mode or slightly better if the Econ button is selected (the default is Normal).
At 3,000 pounds — only about
200 more than the nonhybrid Civic — the Insight feels light on its feet. Initial acceleration is immediate and smooth. Unlike the previous Insight, the suspension absorbs the road ripples and keeps the car well planted in the curves.
The brakes are progressive (unlike some other hybrids) and the steering has just the right amount of heft to it, not too heavy and not too light. Together they make the Insight drive almost like a regular Civic, which is more than could be said for previous Insight iterations.
Pricing with destination charges is $23,900 for the LX, which includes the basics plus an assortment of active-safety technology that’s bundled under the Honda Sensing name (including standard active cruise control and emergency braking.
The midgrade EX comes with a 60/40 split rear seat, premium audio system and an 8-inch touch screen with Apple Carplay and Android connectivity.
The Touring comes with a moonroof, navigation and heated power front seats that are also covered in leather.
Ultimately, the best case for choosing the Insight over its primary Prius competitor might be that the Honda looks like a normal car. That and providing an advanced powertrain that saves gas and runs strong.