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Honda delivered on its promise to price the Insight under $20,000, with the price of entry starting at $19,800 (plus $670 for destination), which makes the Insight LX the least-expensive hybrid on sale in the United States. The original Honda Insight, sold between 2000 and 2006, was the first mass-market hybrid vehicle available in the United States. Its place in history, however, was overshadowed by the success of the Toyota Prius.
The Insight’s hybrid powertrain features a 1.3-liter eight-valve, i-VTEC four-cylinder engine paired with a DC-brushless electric motor, and is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Honda equipped the new hybrid with the same 1.3-liter Integrated Motor Assist system found in the current-generation Honda Civic Hybrid. However, further development of the system cut the IMA’s cost by about 50 percent in the new hybrid.
The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the U.S. and remains a symbol of Honda’s commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency,” said Takeo Fukui, Honda CEO.
Although the new Insight is loosely based on the Fit, it measures in at 3 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the Fit, which Honda said will also be available with a hybrid powertrain in the near future.