It’s the end for the Honda Insight
Although Honda recently announced its electrification projects, they will not see the light of day before 2024 at least. Before getting there, the Japanese giant will focus instead on the hybridization of its vehicles. All this leaves little room for Insight, the one that has long carried the torch of hybridization at Honda. The year 2022 will therefore be its last year of marketing. Its production will end next June.
While Honda lags far behind in the electrification of transportation, it was in a much better position at the turn of the millennium when it launched the very first Insight in North America.
A pioneer
Even if it was overtaken by the Toyota Prius in Japan, the Insight has the merit of having been the very first hybrid car marketed on a large scale in North America. Thanks to its IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid technology, its aluminum design and its drag coefficient of only 0.25, the cute little Insight, which was amusingly reminiscent of a Honda CR-X of the future, recorded fuel consumption combined of just 4.5 litres/100 kilometres.
Honda then tried to scale the technology to other models, such as the Civic hybrid, Accord hybrid, and second- and third-generation Insights, but never managed to beat Toyota in fuel efficiency. engines.
Although fuel-efficient, Honda’s hybrids simply couldn’t hold their own against its main Japanese competitor. The Toyota Prius remains, to this day, the queen of hybrids in terms of energy efficiency.
Today, the case of the Insight is rather sad. Hidden in the corner of Honda dealerships due to a strange marketing strategy, it is essentially a 10th generation Civic powered by a hybrid engine and has a design – we will say it – clearly prettier than its twin.
The third-generation Insight simply didn’t make enough noise to be taken seriously by consumers. Too expensive, unavailable and, above all, not exposed enough by Honda, it was the victim of a manufacturer who was simply not interested in selling it.
It was time
We’re still scratching our heads wondering why Honda didn’t incorporate the Insight’s mechanics into the Civic in 2016 when the model was completely redesigned for its tenth generation. It was only this year that the manufacturer finally decided to revive the Civic hybrid within its range after an 8-year break.
Ditto for the CR-V hybrid, which has been marketed on the American market since 2020. Honda also plans to integrate hybridization into the next HR-V, also planned for this year.
Recall that Honda’s Canadian plant located in Alliston, Ontario – where the Civic and CR-V are built – was recently redesigned to build hybrid engines. However, they receive a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder and not the mechanics of the Insight, which instead uses a 1.5-litre engine. This engine could however be found under the hood of the next HR-V. To be continued.
