In response to the sales threat posed by the more efficient 2010 Toyota Prius, Autocar's reporting the mid-cycle refresh of the 2010 Honda Insight is being rushed ahead to like, umm, as soon as possible.
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]