HIDDEN HYBRID
Two-motor system in the new Insight eases the transition to electric
Not much about the Honda Insight indicates that is an electric vehicle — and that’s the point,
It started with Volvo.
“Volvo Cars to go all electric,” said the media release’s title. The Swedish automaker probably didn’t predict this, but shortly after this news was sent out, almost every one of its rivals had committed to offering electrified versions of its vehicles sometime within the next five or 10 years, hoping to get similarly widespread media coverage. And although it’s more a sign of the times than anything, it’s now been confirmed — soon, there won’t be much point in denoting something as a hybrid. They’ll all be that way.
Honda said the 2019 Insight is a car that just “happens to be a hybrid.” It’s mostly true, too, with the battery conveniently stuffed under the rear seats and styling that’s actually tidier than its closely related non-hybrid sibling, there’s not much about the Insight that would make it obvious it’s been electrified. Gateway drug People are still confused by hybrids and plug-ins, but Honda’s two-motor hybrid powertrain provides a relatively stress-free transition into the world of electrified vehicles.
Unlike the version found in the Accord Hybrid, the Insight’s two-motor system uses a 1.5litre Atkinson cycle four-cylin- der instead of a 2.0-litre. The internal combustion engine makes a peak output of 107 hp and 99 lb-ft of torque, while the electric motor is good for129 hp and a strong 197 lb-ft of torque. The max system output is 151 hp, which moves the Insight along with enough gusto for most daily driving scenarios and returns an estimated 4.5 L/100 km combined. We had no trouble replicating that fueleconomy figure and even with a bit of spirited driving, the Insight still got about 5.0 L/100 km.
The no-nonsense powertrain is representative of the rest of the car’s simplicity — there’s no charging plugs, no overly dramatic styling, no odd gear selector, no oversized display screen, and no random blue- or green-coloured interior trim pieces — it’s all pretty normal.
The powertrain does have some strange quirks, though. Plant the gas all the way down to pass a vehicle on the highway and you’ll hear the i-VTEC four-cylinder suddenly spike in RPM and begin buzzing away like a hand-held mixer before quieting back down to a nearsilent cruise.
The 1.5-litre also sounds coarse and is rather loud. This is admittedly not much of an issue in a vehicle such as this, as most buyers won’t be matting the accelerator that often, but it may take some getting used to for first-time hybrid buyers.
Another odd but useful feature is the regenerative braking system, which is operated by using two paddle shifters that look exactly like gear select paddles. It is sort of useful when a full braking event isn’t necessary, such as when you’re approaching a bend or there’s a slight change in the flow of traffic. Room For One More? Save for a buzzy 1.5-litre engine, the 2019 Honda Insight is a well-executed and easy-to-approach hybrid that seems especially “normal” when you plop it next to its two main rivals: the Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq. Honda shouldn’t have much trouble grabbing interest from would-be Civic buyers that may want to save a buck or two on fuel here and there.
Honda may have a tough time properly positioning the Insight against the Accord Hybrid, though. Canadian pricing for the Insight starts at $27,990 (not including destination), but pricing for a fully loaded Touring model is $31,590, which gets close to overlapping the Honda Accord Hybrid, a bigger car with some better equipment that starts at $33,090. The Verdict The industry is slowly shifting toward electrified vehicles such as this and for most prospective Civic buyers, the Insight is definitely worth checking out for its potential to save them a bit at the pump in exchange for a relatively minuscule price premium. Customers will hardly notice the presence of a small lithium-ion battery and electric motor when driving and they’ll be spending less on fuel.
The Insight’s also faster than a Prius, gets the same fuel economy and actually looks normal. We’ve heard enough complaints about weird-looking electrified cars to know that the arrival of a regular-looking hybrid will be more than welcome.