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Honda Cars
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Friday, 06 February 2009 00:00 |
 For 2010 Honda Insight this is its second coming. Initially launched in 1999 in the US, it was a two-door, no-boot, 35 kms per litre gas-hybrid electric vehicle which moved out from the horizon two years ago. It had purportedly managed to sell just 18,000 units then. Quick to follow in 1997 was Toyota Prius which has since sold more than 1 million units globally. The all-new Insight now is a five-door hatchback configured to seat five people. And look what some are saying - “look Honda went and built a Prius!”
The fact remains that fuel-efficiency is what is driving these Japanese car companies to show the way. Damned be the auto bailout in the US which also requires the guzzlers to move in the same direction. But that will take some time. Meanwhile, the Pruis’ and Insights will corner most of the numbers not only in the US but worldwide.The Insight is the first of three dedicated hybrid models that Honda plans to introduce over the next four years.
There will be a hybrid sports car derived from the CR-Z concept, a hybrid version of the Fit and Jazz compacts. The reason is simple: Honda has re-evaluated its strategy of producing hybrid versions of its existing models, like the Civic and Accord, and have realised that models like Prius were more likely to succeed in the longer run, accelerating their decision to get the Paris Auto show the world its new Insight.
Honda targets sales of 2 lakh units and for that it needs to price the Insight aggressively. The new Insight is therefore, going to be priced much lower than Prius offering customers greater fuel economy at 48 miles per gallon in the US against 40 of Prius. For the uninitiated, Insight borrows many styling cues from Honda’s FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, which is already being leased to a select number of American customers. Honda’s only other current hybrid vehicle, the Civic Hybrid, is set to receive a facelift next year to help differentiate it from the Insight.
Experts who have driven both the vehicles say, that Insight makes sense on a pure cost basis while Prius remains their mileage king. A stronger electric motor and larger battery continues to help Toyota Prius maintain its fuel economy advantage. Its electric motor offers more torque which also makes Prius slightly quicker and the series-parallel hybrid design allows the engine to completely cease rotation for silent running in electric mode. The ride is softer and there is less cabin noise. But what Toyota needs to rethink is the ergonomics for Prius. The driver’s seat is not suited for a tall rider with no height adjustment mechanism while the steering wheel is far away and does not telescope.
On the other hand, the Insight though feels like any other Honda car from the inside, it offers a firmer ride than the Prius, but transmits more road vibration and road noise besides the engine noise into the cabin.
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