To earn a top safety pick a vehicle must get top ratings in front, side, and rear tests. They must also be equipped with electronic stability control. While none of these things make a car any more fun to drive, they certainly make them more comforting to crash. The Insight and Prius were sort of givens and we're not altogether surprised about the Soul as it competes with the Honda Fit and Scion XB, both of which won the award last year.

The IIHS was kind enough to include some Kia Soul and Honda Insight carnage, which you can view below.

<img src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/stills/insight_front_jalopnik.flv.jpg"

In April, the Insight became the best selling car in Japan, with 10,481 units being sold. With the launch of the new Prius in May, that figure dropped to just 8,183 cars.

Of course, in America, many more Prius vehicles are sold, with 12,998 finding their way into the smug hands of new owners in May compared to just 2,079 Insights.

Starting at just $19,800 and averaging 41 MPG combined in the EPA cycle, the Insight is cheaper, yet considerably less fuel-efficient than the $21,000, 50 MPG combined Prius. Perhaps more importantly, the Prius is larger and has driving dynamics that are far superior to the Insight.

Autocar reports Honda is expected to boost fuel-efficiency on the revised Insight as well as increase its dynamic ability and improve its much-maligned ride.

These type of refreshes typically come halfway through a model's five- to seven-year life-cycle. Even if it's rushed through, don't expect to see a revised Insight before the 2012 model year. [via Autocar]

Seriously, we've driven all three and the new Prius makes these two cars look bad when it comes to fuel economy. Now a mid-size, it rivals the Fusion for space, practicality and driving dynamics, and starting at $21,000 it even gets close to the Insight on price. It does this all while boasting a 50 MPG combined fuel efficiency figure, something both its two main competitors can't get anywhere near. Having said that, we realize not everyone wants to risk looking like a whiny eco-celeb just to save some money on gas. So what about the other two choices? Let's find out. Yes friends, it's time for the Hybrid Car Wars.

As with our Muscle Car Wars comparison last week, we'll keep the game simple — add up the stars and the car at the end wins. Let's play.

Exterior Design

Insight: ***
Captures mainstream America's idea of a "hybrid" in a compact, appealing, well-detailed package. Unfortunately, this grey looks terrible in photos next to the Fusion's bright blue. View the Insight in person and the dumpiness in the rear 3/4 view isn't as apparent as it is in photos, mostly because the whole thing's just 4 1/2 feet tall.

Fusion Hybrid: ****
The 2010 Ford Fusion is probably the most handsome mid-size sedan on sale and the Hybrid's no different. Solid proportions, neat details and a shiny grille make it look more expensive than its $27,270 price tag.

Interior Design

Insight: ***
The interior doesn't feel as tight as it actually is thanks to a high ceiling and airy glass house. All the materials are cheap, but pull off the traditional Honda trick of looking good, being easy to use and feeling as if they'll last a long time. The sloping rear limits your ability to haul large items and the back seat is cramped. Not as practical as the cheaper Honda Fit.

Fusion Hybrid: ***
Very spec-sensitive. Check the box for leather and Nav and things are positively fancy, the fabric seats and Nav-less dash much less so. The rest is utterly conventional, if relatively roomy.

Acceleration

Insight: *
With a 0-60 time of 11-ish seconds, acceleration isn't the Insight's strong point. You can keep up with traffic, but you have to work hard to do so. The raucous sound and the CVT's constant revs makes the Insight feel slower than it is.

Fusion Hybrid: ***
Strong acceleration adds to the Fusion Hybrid's conventional driving experience. 0-60 MPH takes about 8.5 seconds, meaning you can actually overtake other cars, especially Honda Insights.

Braking

Honda Insight: ***
Where earlier hybrids had wooden brake pedals thanks to undeveloped regenerative braking systems, the Insight's is totally conventional to use. The soft suspension dives significantly, which can be a bit alarming since the brakes aren't immensely powerful.

Fusion Hybrid ****
What all hybrid brakes should be like, strong but easily modulated. That enables delicate brake use for batter charging at all possible opportunities.

Ride

Insight: *
Very harsh, yet also wobbly. It's like normal suspension in reverse; small bumps are met with harsh response, while large ones send the Insight bouncing along like a Jello mold.

Fusion Hybrid: ****
Feels like a much more expensive car, the ride is cushy yet controlled, isolating occupants from all sorts of bad surfaces.

Handling

Insight: **
This, more than anything else, defines the Insight's character. Objectively, the handling is pathetic, feeling overwhelmed as it yaws alarmingly through everyday challenges like highway off ramps and around minor corners. Having said that, it's fun, involving and challenging to try and hustle something with such low limits, turning every commute into an adventure. Think worn out ‘80s hatchback, but with stability control and you won't be far off.

Fusion Hybrid: ***
Like the regular Fusion, the Hybrid is a competent handler, if not all that involving. Try pushing things and you're met with terminal understeer, but its limits of adhesion, unlike the Insight, lie beyond the realm of the everyday.

Gearbox

Insight: *
As intrusive and annoying as a CVT could possibly be, it's strangely fitted with a "Sport" mode and wheel-mounted paddles that don't do an awful lot beyond raising the cabin's already loud noise level.

Fusion Hybrid: ***
In contrast, the Fusion's CVT is utterly unremarkable. You'll never notice it once you put it in "Drive."

Audio

Insight: **
The optional 6-speaker 160-watt audio system incorporated into the Nav unit is easy to use, but sounds tinny. It adds to all the noise coming from the road and engine rather than drowning those out.

Fusion Hybrid: ***
The base stereo is weak and the LCD interface isn't great. Start ticking options and you can get a really good Sony 12-speaker system and Sirius radio.

Toys

Insight: ****
Well, the whole car kind of feels like a toy, but is also comes with a seriously informative set of gauges that enable drivers to understand how to drive efficiently. The speedometer, which hovers in your peripheral vision, glows dark green when you're behaving and fades to dark blue when you're not. That's much more immediate than Ford's system. Add to that the Gameboy graphics that give you ridiculous medals for fuel-efficient driving and an "Eco" button that smooths out the peaks and troughs of power input to boost efficiency and frugal drivers have all the tools they need to save money.

Fusion Hybrid: *****
If you think the Insight's got some cool gauges, you'll be floored by the slick graphics and massive level of information available in the Fusion. Easily the best-looking gauges in the industry, Ford's SmartGauge with EcoGuide system redefines a driver's interaction with the car by showing you how to maximize energy recovery during regenerative braking, enabling you to maintain EV mode up to 47mph with a display showing the amount of throttle available in that mode. There's so much here it can be overwhelming and very distracting, but Ford's thought of that too, allowing you to switch through four levels of information.

Fuel Economy

Honda Insight: ***
Hit or miss. The EPA numbers are 40 MPG city, 43 MPG highway, 41 MPG combined. We averaged 37 MPG over a week of mostly city driving. Hypermilers can get figures exceeding 60 MPG over mixed routes. So which is it? Sadly, in our hands, the fuel economy just isn't impressive for such a compromised car. Your results may vary.

Fusion Hybrid: ****
We averaged 38.5 MPG over a week of mixed highway and city driving in the Fusion Hybrid. For a relatively large car that's pretty fast and pretty luxurious, that's really good. Official EPA numbers are nearly identical to the Insight's: 41 MPG city, 36 MPG highway, 39 MPG combined, but the record-breaking fuel economy we achieved when we hypermiled the Fusion Hybrid in LA was only 43.8 MPG.

Value

Honda Insight: ****
It depends on how you look at it. The Insight offers decent fuel economy in an unpractical package resulting in a fairly unimpressive value proposition. At $19,800 it is, however, the cheapest hybrid car on the market, meaning it lowers the barrier of entry into the exciting world of hybrid ownership. Believe it or not, that actually matters to some people. Although we'd stick with the much more practical, better-to-drive 2009 Honda Fit, which starts at $14,750 and manages 27 MPG city and 33 MPG highway, we do have to admit, as far as Hybrids go, this one's got the win.

Fusion Hybrid: **
An impressive car for a reasonable price, but the base-spec Fusion S starts at $19,270 and returns 25 MPG combined. Even though the Fusion Hybrid brings with it all the SEL options, $27,270 creates an $8,000 premium that you'll never make up in fuel savings.

Overall

Honda Insight
Average score: 2.5
Living up to every negative hybrid stereotype ever, the Insight asks you to make enormous sacrifices in the driving experience and practicality to achieve fuel mileage that just isn't all that impressive for a car this small. It'd make a pretty decent first car or first new car, but the Fit would make a much better one.

Ford Fusion Hybrid
Average score: 3.5
Ford's Fusion hybrid delivers a spacious, technologically-advanced car asking you to make no sacrifices to achieve similar fuel economy to the Insight. Well, except the price, which is understandably a bit more than its no-batteries brethren. The most complete hybrid we'd driven, well, until we drove the 50 MPG 2010 Toyota Prius, that is.

Excluding Kei cars, the Honda Insight and Honda Jazz (Fit) took the top two spots with 10,841 units and 9,443 units, respectively. The Insight is just starting to show up on dealer lots here in the U.S., so we'll soon see if the cheap and modern-looking ecorider does as well on this side of the Pacific. [AP]

It might be a tiny little thing, but the 2010 Honda Insight's 1.3 liter four cylinder with an integrated 10 kW motor/generator is a big part of why the Insight is both efficient and relatively cheap. It does have some fancy tech though, with i-DSI or intelligent Dual & Sequential Ignition, as evidenced by each compression chamber's twin spark plugs. 98 HP and 123 lb-ft ain't much but 43.8 MPG is the key figure here.

Click here to return to the Top Five Pieces Of Hot Engine Porn At SAE

Titled "Let It Shine" and set to the tune "This Little Light Of Mine", the ad uses a huge field of Honda Insights, all hooked together in an array and using their headlights for some old-fashioned pixel animation. Ah, it takes us back to the good old days, putting together Q-BASIC animation programs on green-screened Zenith terminals for math class. Yes, nerds do grow up. Needless to say we like this ad, it strikes the right balance of whimsy and preachy, which is to say more of the former and less of the latter. In fact, it's better watched with the sound off. [via The Daily What]

With yesterday's 2010 Toyota Prius Review, we've now driven all three major competitors in the Greener-Than-Thou segment. Let's take a look at how the new Prius stacks up against the bigger, mid-size 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan (which normally would play against Toyota's larger Camry Hybrid, but since the Fusion's already kicked it's tail in fuel economy, we thought we'd move it up from the JV Hybrid Car Wars to the Varsity level), the 2010 Honda Insight and, sort of like a control subject, a 1990 Geo Metro XFi. We'll take a look at how each plays against each other when it comes to fuel economy, size and space, performance, driving dynamics and price. So finally, we can answer the question: Which new hybrid car should you buy?

Fuel Economy:

Adjusted for the new EPA standards, we're amazed that the 19-year old Geo Metro XFI turns in better highway fuel economy than any of the hybrids. Predictably, the Toyota Prius, with its stop/start engine and large battery pack manages to best it in the city cycle, but neither the Insight nor Fusion Hybrid can do the same.

We've tried hypermilling the three hybrids, managing 43.8 MPG in the Ford Fusion Hybrid in city driving, figures in the low 60 MPG range with the Insight and low 70s with the Prius, both in mixed driving. While specific comparisons shouldn't be drawn based on those numbers, they do indicate the ability of each to exceed their official EPA ratings by driving like a grandparent; the Fusion Hybrid can barely manage it, while both the Insight and Prius easily exceed them.

A quick Google search reveals tales of owners averaging 60-70 MPG in Metro XFis in realistic conditions.

Size/Space:

The compact-class Honda Insight has 85.0 cubic feet of passenger space, considerably less than the mid-size Fusion and just-sub-mid-size Prius. They measure 99.8 and 93.7 cubic feet respectively. Since they're hatchbacks, both the Insight and Prius are more flexible for carrying cargo than the Fusion; the Ford only has 11.8 cubic feet of space in its trunk, while the Insight manages 15.8 with its seats up, the Prius measures 21.6. A larger car with more space in the rear seat, the Prius's storage room is noticeably larger than the Insight with the rear seats folded flat.

The Geo is absolutely tiny, at 146.1" it's over two feet shorter than the Insight.

Toys:

All three hybrids have noted that the largest determining factor in fuel economy is the driver and taken steps to give them the tools to drive in the most fuel-efficient manner. The Honda Insight does this with both an "Econ" button that, like Prozac, removes the highs and lows from throttle inputs and an aggregate display of your fuel economy history, complete with Game Boy-worthy graphics and simulated medals for good performance. Supplementing that is a more immediate glowing surround for the speedometer, it turns bright green when you're driving economical, before fading to dark blue when you're not.

Honda's is a more effective system than the equally low-tech display in the Prius, which provides drivers with only a confusing bar graph that tracks from "Charge" to "Power" and a history of your recent fuel economy figures.

The Ford SmartGauge with EcoGuide, on the other hand, provides drivers with a myriad of tools "empowering" them to make full use of the hybridized drivetrain to achieve maximum fuel economy. In addition to a seriously useful sliding indicator of how much throttle opening you can use while remaining in EV mode, it features a section of nicely-animated leaves that whither and die, or bloom and grow depending on your driving habits. It also shows you when you're using regenerative braking and how much charge it's sending to the batteries. Seriously, it's a sexy-looking system that will have a real impact on your fuel economy.

The Metro has a five-speed manual gearbox.

Price:

The Insight's Raison d'être is to offer people who want a Prius a cheaper option. Unfortunately, at $19,800 (before $670 in destination, license and registration) it looks like it'll only be about $2,700 cheaper than the more fuel-efficient 2010 Prius. It's estimated that car will come in around $500 more expensive than the 2009 model, which starts at $22,00. The Fusion Hybrid is considerably more expensive at $27,270, but comes loaded with options.

Then there's the used Metro Xfi, they're hard to find (especially in good condition), but prices have come down from last summer's fuel-crisis high of $7-8,000; expect to pay less than $3,000 for a good one.

Driving Dynamics:

The Fusion Hybrid has a clear performance advantage, hitting 60 MPH a second faster than the 2nd place Prius. While none of these are what you'd consider true driver's cars, both the Ford and Toyota are perversely fun to drive. Sadly we can't say the same of the Insight, which is merely competent. The Insight is also far less refined than either the Prius or Fusion Hybrid; both of those cars ride and isolate noise like luxury cars.

The used Metro is ridiculously slow, unrefined and doesn't come with things like modern tires, suspension or brakes. At 19-years old, it's also likely to be suffering from mechanical problems.

Image:

There's no denying the pop culture resonance of the Toyota Prius. It's the choice of vacuous, eco-friendly image-seeking celebrities everywhere. Buy one and you'll instantly appear to be the greenest family on your block. The Insight, which adopts a similar look, will benefit from riding the Prius's coattails and from the name recognition its first-hybrid-vehicle-ever predecessor lends it. It's a hard case for the Ford, which needs to rely on all its leafy "hybrid" badges to make a case for itself.

Driving a crappy old Metro in front of anyone but an extremely savvy hypermilling enthusiast will simply make you look like you didn't get into Meth production until the market was already flooded.

Which Hybrid Should I Buy:

You may be wondering which car you should buy as your first Hybrid, or which one makes the most convincing case for the current Hybrid owner to trade up to a better vehicle. What about people who don't want to sacrifice driving dynamics in the pursuit of economy or just want a cheap, practical, fuel-efficient vehicle for their commute? The answer for all those people is the 2010 Toyota Prius. Not only is it the most fuel-efficient new vehicle for sale in this country, but it's the most practical vehicle here, at a size larger than the Insight with plenty of room for both people and packages. Combine both those advantages with driving dynamics that are on par with the Ford Fusion Hybrid and what should be a very reasonable starting price and you have an incredibly complete package. Then there's the reputation; this new Prius finally lives up to it, we just wish it had Ford's SmartGauges.

Notes:
- All numbers quoted have been provided by the manufacturers. Exceptions are clearly distinguished by "(Est)" which indicates an educated estimate has been made.
- Fuel economy figures quoted come from the Environmental Protection Agency and are in US gallons. 1 US gallon = 1.2 Imperial gallons.
- The EPA mileage test changed in 2008 to a much more stringent standard. Vehicles tested before the change typically returned xx% better economy than the do now. For example, the 2007 Toyota Prius was rated at 55 MPG combined before and 46 MPG combined after the change. This new standard is widely considered to be more accurate than European tests. For example, the Honda Insight is officially rated at 64.2 MPG combined in the United Kingdom. That's 53.5 MPG in US gallons, 12.5 MPG more than it's rated at here.

For this amount of change you'll get the Honda Insight LX, which gets a city/highway fuel economy figure of 40/43 MPG, comes standard with ABS and features an AM/FM/CD/Aux Input stereo system. Upgrade to the $21,300 EX and you'll get stability control, heated mirrors, paddle shifters and other equipment. Not standard, but available on the EX, is Honda's satellite-linked Nav system.

Prius better recognize.

All-new Honda Insight Starts Under $20,000; Becomes Most Affordable New Hybrid Available in the U.S.

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on-sale March 24 with a manufacturer's suggested retail price1 (MSRP) of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC® gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallonn2. The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

"The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers."

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight's highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Major features standard to the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist; automatic climate control; tilt and telescope steering column; manual driver's seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.

A more premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX, with a MSRP of $21,300, adds to the Insight LX features with Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®); alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface3; a center console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and much more. Exclusively available on the Insight EX, the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System4 (6.5-inch screen) with voice recognition provides routing and guidance to individual addresses and more than 7 million points of interest within the continental United States. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® for hands-free operation of compatible mobile telephones, along with related steering wheel-mounted controls for voice activation of navigation and hands-free telephone systems.

A 4-cylinder engine with intelligent variable valve timing and a DC brushless electric motor forms the foundation of the IMA hybrid system. The electric motor, positioned in-line between the engine and the transmission, adds power during acceleration and in certain cruising situations, and recaptures energy from the vehicle's forward momentum during braking (regenerative braking).

The Insight's IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed cruising conditions. It can also provide cylinder deactivation during deceleration and an idle-stop feature when the vehicle is stationary. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range exceeding 400 miles. Models for sale in California and states that have adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ZEV standards receive an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) emissions rating.

The Insight introduces Eco Assist to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing the ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems: throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation (EX only). Eco Assist also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colors from green to blue to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking (green = efficient). The driver's results are continuously tracked as fuel-economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Up to five leaves can be ‘earned' as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style. A real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide MID screen.

Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side-curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver's and front-passenger's active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved frontal-crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height.

Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America's first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, the world's most advanced production fuel-cell automobile.

[Source: Honda]

The fall from grace on used hybrids isn't all that surprising. Consider at their price peak last summer, fuel was hovering around $4.50 a gallon, the eco-geeks had infiltrated every corner of the infosphere, and Toyota couldn't even make enough new Prii to keep up with demand. Now we're sitting on a market of $2 gas, disintegrating consumer confidence, and a market flush with (used and new) cars making 30 MPG without the price premium commanded by a hybrid. Could it possibly be the forces of supply and demand, and the wisdom of the markets actually works? Say it ain't so, every grandstanding government official who chastised the big two-and-a-half for not building more hybrids! [The USA Today]

In our Honda Insight review we found the car to be surprisingly fun-to-drive for a hybrid but not as fuel-efficient as the competition. Still, gun-to-the-head, we'd rather an Insight over the outgoing Prius while cruising around Tokyo's Akihabara district. It looks like tomorrow it could be a reality. Now all we need is a Japanese driver's license, a ticket to Japan and ¥1,890,000 (approximately $21,000).

Toyota Press Release

TOKYO, Japan, February 5, 2009 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that the all-new Insight hybrid vehicle will go on sale in Japan on Friday, February 6, 2009. A five-door, five-passenger compact hatchback starting at an affordable ¥1,890,000*1, the Insight features a lightweight, compact hybrid system that combines exceptional fuel economy with fun-to-drive performance.

Designed to set the standard for compact cars for a new era, the Insight combines outstanding environmental performance with fun, responsive driving and efficient, versatile packaging. The all-new Honda Insight was developed with the goal to provide these attributes in a car that is affordable to more customers.

Offering customers exceptional fuel economy, the Insight features a newly developed hybrid system including a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine and Honda's proprietary Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). To further support fuel-efficient driving, the Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist) as standard equipment on all models.

* The name Insight was chosen to denote that this new vehicle provides "insight" into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers.

*1 Manufacturer's suggested retail price including consumption tax for the G-type

[Honda via NihonCar]

The new hotness in dedicated hybrids was caught with a thin layer of fresh snow on top, while the driver we're assuming is enjoying Park City's famous slopes. The production 2010 Insight was unveiled in the flesh only a couple of weeks ago at the Detroit Auto Show to absolutely no fanfare, not even a press event. Even though we don't know the officially official base price on the car, it's expected to come in around $18,500 and with a conservative 41 MPG combined fuel economy, it should set hybrid buyers pants on fire when it hits showrooms. Perhaps this snow will cool 'em down a bit.

The 2010 Honda Insight doesn’t even go on sale until Earth Day (April 22nd), but already it’s European division has released details of the tacky accessories that’ll be available straight from dealers.

In addition to the rear seat TV screens that’ll actually be useful for parents averse to actual parenting, there’s a host of pointless bolt-ons: chrome door sill and B-pillar covers, aluminum door handle guards (for fans of fake fingernails) and some stick-on metal-effect vent covers for the interior. There’s also a flip-screen entertainment system and, bizarrely given the optional integrated item, a stick-on nav system. No word on prices, but since you can’t put a price on saving the environment, we don’t expect this cheap crap to be actually cheap. [via CarScoop]

Remember the South Park episode "Smug?" All the uppity environmentalists drove around in whooshy little cars that looked like generic versions of the Toyota Prius. That distinctive shape has come to define the Hybrid vehicle in the American psyche more by luck than intention; Toyota arrived at the shape for the Prius by working out the most aerodynamic way to package a traditional five-passenger vehicle. The result looked like no vehicle before it. The 2010 Honda Insight takes the same approach and, unsurprisingly, arrives at a very similar answer. The Prius is actually more aerodynamic than the Insight (.26 Cd vs. .28), despite the latter’s slightly smaller frontal area, overall size and a significant effort invested by Honda in areas like the partially flat undertray. If anything, the Honda’s the better looking car, benefiting from its five year younger age, sharper lines and more refined detailing.

In that South Park episode people drove Hybrids because they wanted to feel “like they were doing something.” No one seemed to have any idea what that meant. They didn’t want to make any sacrifices to achieve whatever that “doing something” was, but they sure wanted their discretionary purchases to reflect their willingness to do it. What the Insight seeks to do is give people a way to be “a part of the solution, not the problem” for less sacrifice.

As you’d expect, a significant portion of that reduced sacrifice comes from the pricepoint. Honda hasn’t yet released an official price, but its own hints and informed speculation pegs it somewhere in the $18,500 neighborhood. That’s a reasonably large difference from the current 2009 model Prius, which starts at $22,000. If Honda can maintain that price differential, or maybe even increase it when the 2010 Toyota Prius is launched, it’ll have a significant advantage over the segment leader.

But does the Honda offer less due to the lower price? Yes and no. The big question is fuel economy. In this, the Honda appears to fail. The Insight hasn’t been EPA tested yet, but Honda estimates the results will be 40 MPG city, 43 highway, 41 combined. The 2009 Prius is officially EPA rated at 48/45/46. It’ll be interesting to see how big that gap is when the 2010 Prius is revealed. Of course, the $2,500 price differential will buy an awful lot of gas.

But neither is the Toyota Prius is the most economical vehicle on the block. According to hypermiler Wayne Gerdes from CleanMPG.com, Honda’s own European Civic I-CTDI is capable of returning significantly better fuel economy than either hybrid. Wayne managed to get 69.9 MPG out of the Insight while driving through a suburban area without using any of his extreme hypermiling techniques like massively over-inflated tires or coasting with the engine off. We’re hypermiling neophytes with barely a fleeting interest in fuel economy, yet last year we saw 73 MPG from a Honda Civic I-CTDI.

Honda’s decision to offer the less fuel efficient Insight in America as opposed to the Prius-killing Civic diesel can only have been made for one reason: Americans wanted the less efficient vehicle.

That’s not to say that the Insight isn’t a good car. It is, and that, in our minds, is its biggest success. Drive a Prius for any reason other than decent mileage and you’ll be massively disappointed by the experience. It’s not all that slow, but it is unresponsive and wallowy. The brake pedal feels weird due to the regenerative system and the whole thing is just sorta lacking. In contrast, the Honda is actually somewhat fun to drive. I mean, we’re not talking Civic Type-R levels of hoonage potential, but imagine a little bit heavier Honda Fit and you wouldn’t be far off. The Insight actually weighs 2,723 Lbs, the current Prius weighs 2,921 and the Fit weighs 2,359. Initial strangeness comes from the CVT, which, due the minimal amount of lightweight sound deadening used, leads to a raucous engine. Put your foot down and the tinny sounding note invades the cabin at a steady rate, it doesn’t sound like normal acceleration. Honda doesn’t quote a 0-60 time yet, but expect it to be in 11-12 second range.

Other than that, the fancy powertrain is virtually unnoticeable. Honda has gone to great lengths to seamlessly integrate the 1.3-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine and 10-kilowatt electric motor, you’ll have to be paying attention to the gauges to tell when one is working and the other’s not.

The Insight is also a remarkably practical vehicle given its overall size and low roofline. The giant hatch lifts to nearly vertical, revealing a capacious trunk and 60/40 seats that fold nearly flat. Rear legroom is a little cramped for adults and a little smaller than the Prius, but the Insight has 1.5cubic feet more cargo room than the larger Prius. All the hybrid gubbins are cleverly integrated and stowed under the spare tire, which is under the flat cargo floor. The fuel tank is under the rear seats.

The Insight’s other big trick is the Eco Assist system. Like Ford with its Fusion Hybrid, Honda has acknowledged that drivers are the biggest determining factor in its vehicles’ ability to sip gas. The Eco Assist system helps drivers drive more economically by giving them the information and encouragement to do so, but also employing an Econ mode that provides a little help on the way. That gauge set isn’t quite as informative as the Fusion Hybrid’s Smartgauge system, nor a sexy, but it is more intuitive, using a simple speedo backlight that glows green when you’re being responsible, fading to dark blue as you use more fuel. There’s also a complicated, and somewhat tacky system of growing leaves that help track your overall performance.

The Econ button is capable of making the Insight about 10% more efficient on its own. Think of it like Prozac for cars, evening out the peaks and valleys of your throttle inputs, turning the engine off earlier when coming to a stop, running the A/C more efficiently and telling the cruise control to use less throttle. It’s a welcome aid for when you don’t want to pay attention to driving slowly, while the gauges should train drivers to do exactly that in the long term.

Unlike that South Park episode, we don’t think this hybrid is going to lead to a Smug attack capable of destroying the world. Rather, it’s going to allow people who want to be seen to drive a hybrid a cheaper way to have their supposedly green credentials immediately recognized by like-minded hypocrites while giving buyers a better driving, more practical vehicle than they likely bargained for. Is it going to save the world? No. But it is going to cash in the well-intentioned, but ultimately misguided desire a lot of people have to do so in a big way.

Information leaked in Honda's official magazine in Belgium and published late yesterday on Carscoop indicate on the European cycle, the 2009 Toyota Prius (the current model) is officially rated at a combined 54.7 MPG average; the 2009 Insight only manages 53.5 MPG in the same test. Lets do some quick math: In the euro cycle, which is more optimistic than American EPA tests, the Insight is 1.9% less efficient than the current Prius. Using the Prius’s official 46 MPG EPA figure to determine a US EPA cycle projection, we can calculate that the Insight would, all thing being equal, manage 45 MPG. 1 less than the Prius. It should be noted, however, that these EPA numbers are estimates only and not official.

The Insight uses the same 1.3-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine as the Civic Hybrid, here delivering 88 HP from the engine and a total of 95 HP combined. The gas engine produces 90 lb-ft of torque while the electric motor makes 76 Lb-Ft.

The Belgian Insight will be offered in two trim levels. Standard on both is ABS, Stability Control, a full compliment of airbags, climate control and a CD radio. The up spec model adds Bluetooth, parking assist, cruise control, fog lights, heated front seats and rain sensors.

Expect more details at next week’s Detroit Auto Show, or before then, if another European division of Honda decides it wants in on the embargo break action.

[via Carscoop]

We showed you blurry images of a leaked JDM Insight brochure last month, but we’ve received a set of leaked images ahead of the 2010 Honda Insight’s official debut on January 11th at the Detroit Auto Show. What’s shown is a European-spec model that will likely be very similar to our own U.S. version, though in left-hand drive configuration.

What we can see from these new photos is that the production Insight has lost some of the Paris Motor Show Insight concept’s flashy lighting features and it’s also toned down the rear design quite a bit. Overall the translation from show car to production has served Honda’s earth-saving hybrid well.

We’ll bring you the full story on the U.S. market car in a little over a week or when someone else breaks Honda’s Detroit Auto Show embargo.

[via CarScoop]

We showed you the front three-quarter shot that Honda provided of its production Insight earlier this month and we just recently received these scans from a poster at the Temple of Vtec. Depicted are the first shots of the production Insight from the rear three-quarter as well as its interior.

While the front design of the 2010 Honda Insight goes largely unchanged from the Insight Concept, the rear design is tidied up a bit and loses some of its show car flair. The interior is also very similar to what was shown in the Paris Motor Show Insight Concept, but it loses some of the neat capacitive touch button surfaces in favor of traditional push buttons.

Also shown is what appears to be the sportier Modulo version – an accessorized version outfitted from the factory. The Modulo Insight is shown wearing a sportier bodykit including a front-lip spoiler with fog lamps, side skirts, lower rear fascia and a set of larger alloy wheels.

Below we have an as-yet unofficial spec sheet listing the different models and options, but we’ll wait for further information from Honda before trusting this information completely. Honda is expected to release the production Insight for worldwide sale in the spring of 2009 at an entry-level price of $18,000 to $19,000.

Features common to all Japanese Insights:
• Ecological Drive Assist System
• multi-information display
• full-auto air conditioner
• projector-style headlights
• remote-control body-colored external mirrors
• tinted rear windows
• security alarm
• immobilizer (ignition system verifies chip in key)
• 15-inch steel wheels
• solar-heat-reducing/noise-reducing glass
• active front head-rests
• tilt/telescoping steering wheel
• seat-height adjuster
• three rear-seat head rests
• flat-tire repair kit (the new Insight carries no spare tire)
The L model adds:
• high-intensity discharge headlights with auto light control
• turn signals in the external mirrors
• leather steering wheel
• rear speakers
• front/rear arm rests
• variable-speed windshield wiper
• map light and luggage-area light
• driver’s seat back pocket
The LS model adds:
• 16-inch aluminum wheels
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
• front fog lights
• 7-speed paddle shifters
• sun-shade tinted windshield
Optional accessories:
• navigation system with 7-inch screen and hard disk drive (this system may also display additional fuel economy information and in Japan it may include a TV tuner and ECT, an electronic highway toll payment system)
• Honda smart key system
• side-curtain air bags
• 15-inch aluminum wheel for L class
• High-intensity discharge headlights
• comfort view package plus rear window wiper
Body color options:
• Spectrum while pearl (also a Civic hybrid color)
• Milano red (also a Fit color)
• Premium deep violet pearl (also a Jazz color, but not a US Honda color)
• Crystal black pearl (also an Accord, Civic, and Fit color)
• Polished metal metallic (also an Accord and Civic color)
• Alabaster silver metallic (also an Accord and Civic color)
• Brilliant sky metallic (also a Jazz color, but not a US Honda color)
Interior color options:
• Blue
• Warm gray
Other data:
• Length 4390 mm (172.8 inches)
• Width 1695 mm (66.7 inches)
• Height 1425 mm (56.1 inches)
• Wheelbase 2550 mm (100.4 inches)
• Weight 1180 kilograms (2601.5 lbs)
• Minimum turning radius: 5 meters (16.4 feet)
• Engine type: inline 1339 cc SOHC 4-cylinder
• Engine generates 88 horsepower @5800rpm and 12.3 kgm torque @4500rpm
• IMA motor generates 14 horsepower @1500rpm and 9.4 kgm torque @500rpm
• Japanese 10.15 mode fuel consumption test: 30.0 kilometers per liter (which is greater than 70 mpg, but the EPA tests will return lower numbers; the Toyota Prius rates 35.5 km/l or greater than 83 mpg in this test.)

[via Temple of VTEC]

11.) Feature Hand-Cut Tires On Giant Wheels

As evidenced by the production Honda Insight, production cars and concept cars roll in majorly different ways. Concept cars get gigantic, futuristic-looking wheels on slick hand-cut tires which, by comparison, make the production versions look like they're driving around on steel donuts.

10.) Give It Super-Tinted Glass

Whether it's because they want to obscure what's going on inside or because it just looks cool, you'll find few concept cars without darkly tinted windows. In some cases, as with the Soueast X1 Hybrid GT, it obscures the fact that the car has no interior.

9.) Place LED Lights Everywhere

LED lights are awesome but, in most cases, they end up being relegated to service at the rear of production versions of the car (except for everything from Audi). The Honda Insight Concept was nothing but LED lights, which were dropped for the 2010 Honda Insight production version because those things are seriously expensive.

8.) Add Futuristic Doors

No one in the future will ever open a door by using a handle. Either you press a tiny button (as with the Insight) and the door opens itself or you think about it and the door leans forward in some sort of Gullwing-scissor door combination. Or, as with the Land Rover LRX Concept, you just don't put any door handles on at all.

7.) Don't Forget The Obnoxiously Expensive Paint Job

When cars go into production you get mostly basic choices like red, black, blue, sliver, green or white. Rarely do these colors end up on a concept car. You've got your electric blues, magical greens and lacquered creams. Volvo, for some reason, always paints cars like a surf rescue vehicle because the Germans love Baywatch.

6.) Make Sure You Have Overly-involved Apple Product Integration

Apple products, like the iPhone and iPod, are the measure by which all modern design is measured. They're also considered "cool" by almost everyone. Therefore, every concept has to work in conjunction with an iPod. The LRX uses one as a smart key. The Hummer HX records your off-road videos and downloads them to an iPhone. In the case of the Volt, the entire command console looks like an iPod.

5.) Design Impossible Seating

No one in the future will have legs or working spines, at least if you're to believe concept cars. The seats are slung impossibly low and the back seats fit together in ways even Cirque Du Solei performers would find uncomfortable.

4.) Throw In A Whimsical Steering Wheel

Look at a concept car steering wheel and you'll wonder if the government hasn't repealed the airbag requirement on new cars. Though most follow the standard three-spoke design, these futuristic wheels are made of leather, metal and typically clean and smooth even though the production version will almost certainly be black and covered with buttons.

3.) Do Something Strange To The Roof

The high-angle, three-quarter perspective is the one typically used for news articles and press shots. Why not throw on a panaromic glass roof? It worked for the Ford Verve. In the case of the Maybach 62 design study they just removed the roof outright.

2.) Use Expensive Materials

Concept vehilces, especially for premium automakers, are designed to encourage buyers to see themselves in the brand's luxurious appointments. For the Lincoln MKT Concept, this means a dash inspired by Swarovski crystal. For the Nissan above, it means headlights that look like Jewels. For the ConceptFASCINATION from Mercedes, that means actual crystal glasses and a jewel-encrusted humidor. Fancy!

1.) Surround It With Models

Designers and marketers understand that sticking a pretty piece of flesh in front of a not-so-attractive piece of metal is an easy way to draw attention to your car. If it's an expensive luxury car put a woman in a gown in front of it. If it's an exotic sports car make sure she's wearing a cocktail dress. If the concept is hip and urban make sure the model looks like she'd give you the clap.

Click here for a high-res picture of the 2010 Honda Insight.

12/03/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -

The all-new 2009 Honda Insight hybrid will make its world debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The five-passenger, five-door Insight will go on sale in the spring of 2009.

The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year - approximately 100,000 in North America - and will utilize a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™).

A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced to market the first mass produced low-emission gasoline vehicles; America's first commercially produced gas-electric hybrid car and the world's first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named "greenest automaker" by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.

But that's not all these new images tell us. If we take a closer look at the rest of the dash, it looks like the Insight will share design cues with its Euro Civic cousin and offer such features as a USB aux audio input, a CD/MP3/WMA disc drive and an overall simple control scheme. What we don't know is what the heck an "S" means in the PRNDL cadence. What the heck does "PRNDSL" mean? Park, reverse, neutral, drive, second and low? Probably, but we're holding out for a "Superamazing" gear.

NEW INSIGHT TECHNOLOGY HELPS DRIVERS MAXIMISE FUEL ECONOMY
Dashboard display encourages and rewards greener driving styles

Honda has announced a new Ecological Drive Assist System to help drivers achieve better fuel economy. The technology will feature on the new Insight family hybrid car, which goes on sale in spring 2009.

It will be the world’s first system to combine three different functions to enhance fuel economy: an ECON Mode which controls engine, transmission and other powertrain components to support more fuel-efficient driving; a guidance function that helps drivers become more fuel efficient behind the wheel using the colour of the speedometer display; and a scoring function that provides instant and long term feedback on driving techniques, after each journey.

Honda developed the Ecological Drive Assist System to help its customers improve their fuel economy in real world conditions. The scoring function provides cumulative, long-term feedback through graphic ‘leaves’, which ‘grow’ over time as drivers learn and then implement a smooth driving style that boosts fuel economy. The visual nature of the scoring function display makes it easy and enjoyable for drivers to improve the efficiency of their driving skills over time.

“Hybrid technology delivers great fuel economy and low emissions, but these can both be affected by driving style,” says John Kingston, Government Affairs and Environment Manager at Honda (UK). “This new package encourages greener, more efficient driving, in a fun and engaging way.”

The technology will further boost the appeal of the Insight, which is due to hit UK showrooms in the spring next year. Honda has already announced that the 5-door family car will be significantly lower in price to any other hybrid on the market, making petrol-electric technology accessible to more people.

A production version of Insight will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show, in January 2009.

To learn more about Honda’s Ecological Drive Assist System and the new Honda Insight, please visit: http://www.insightecon.co.uk

Key features of the Ecological Drive Assist System

1. ECON Mode
By pushing an ECON button on the dashboard, drivers can engage ECON mode to support more fuel efficient driving.

As well as controlling the engine, CVT and other powertrain components, ECON Mode also adjusts the air conditioning unit, extends idle stop time and increases regenerative recharging during deceleration to enhance the fuel efficiency of the Insight.

2. Guidance function
The main part of the guidance function is an ambient meter in the form of a background colour behind the speedometer display that changes to indicate real time fuel consumption.

The ambient meter displays a green colour when fuel-efficient driving is being achieved: a blue-green colour when relatively fuel-efficient driving is being achieved with smooth acceleration and deceleration; and a blue colour during heavy fuel consumption.

The ambient meter makes the driver aware of real-time fuel consumption patterns, and encourages the driver to be more fuel efficient, while trying to maintain the green colour display.

The Ambient Meter is the world’s first technology of its kind that encourages environmentally-responsible driving by responding to braking practices as well as acceleration.

3. Scoring function
The aim of the scoring function is to engage drivers in more fuel efficient driving, and encourage them to develop a more environmentally-responsible driving style.

The scoring function is located within the Multi-Information-Display, in the centre of the instrument panel. This part of the Ecological Drive Assist System uses graphics of tree leaves to ‘score’ the fuel-efficiency of the driver’s performance.

While the ignition switch is turned on, the display shows a score reflecting the real time driving performance.

When the ignition switch is turned off, the ‘leaves’ in the top row display a score for the journey just completed, while a horizontal bar in the bottom row of the display gives a ‘lifetime score’ that represents cumulative lifetime performance.

The Multi-Information Display also allows drivers to view fuel economy figures for the past three trips, as well as instantaneous and average fuel economy statistics.

When the technology debuts in the Insight in the spring, it will be the world’s first function of its kind to provide real-time and post-trip assessments of the impact of driving habits on fuel economy.