Honda Insight review
by Jim McCauley (25 January 2009)
After a century of service the days of the internal combustion engine could be numbered as alternative power sources offer greater efficiency, while easing demand on finite fuel supplies and conforming to environmental requirements.
The favoured short-term solution is the electric motor used either as the sole power unit of in a complementary capacity to assist an internal combustion engine. This latter hybrid path is the route chosen by a number of manufacturers including Honda, which produced its first commercially available model in 1999. Now the Insight badge of that first model reappears on their new compact passenger hatchback which pairs a clever valve-manipulating petrol engine with an electric motor.
The new Insight uses a 1.3 litre i-VTEC engine very similar to that of the Jazz, running in parallel with a slimline electric motor neatly sandwiched between the engine and transmission, and is the fruition of over 20 years of hybrid development.
The main aims of the package are to sustain performance, stretch economy and lower emissions. And in this case there is one other keyword – affordable. Honda hopes to offer this compact five-door hatchback as an alternative for those shopping in the C sector of the market for cars such as the Ford Focus, Citroen C4 and Volkswagen Golf.
The car looks familiar, maybe a little too familiar as it is close in side elevation to the outgoing Toyota Prius, or maybe that is a bait to catch conquest sales from the established leading market hybrid. Front end is more sculpted and aggressive while a coupé-like rear window drops at a sharp angle behind a rear spoiler/light bar to provide an extended vertical glass panel.
Exterior design is crisp and clean, and the cabin reflects this precision with the exception of the dash which has a multi-element construction. In all, a car that shows more conformity with current design cues than the original Insight did.
Petrol power comes from the 1.3-litre engine which can manipulate its valves, including keeping all of them shut during low-speed cruising when its electric motor alone is working. Engine output is rated at 87bhp at 5800rpm while the electric motor produces 14bhp at 1500rpm. In this parallel application one or both of the power units can operate at any given time depending on circumstances, while there is an opportunity to cut both when stationary.
Starting is by normal key start and the car performs competently, its two drive units discreetly sharing the work with no evidence of power struggles between them. Transfer to the road is handled via a CVT (continuously variable transmission) unit - in effect a seamless automatic with manual override paddles on the top trim models which allow the driver the option of selecting one of seven fixed ratios.
In normal road use the system responds best to light throttle application, as generous use of the right foot increases the revs substantially before arriving at the desired ratio. However, at motorway speeds, acceleration is smoother and more refined, complementing the overall quietness of the car. Ride quality is also on par with the best of the C-segment competitors.
But there are shortcomings, the most noticeable being the stop/start operation in heavy traffic. Slowing to a stop in traffic and holding the footbrake when at rest cuts the engine to save fuel and reduce emissions. On releasing the brake pedal, the engine starts automatically again. However, when applying proper driving procedure and then applying the handbrake, putting the car in neutral and releasing the footbrake pedal, the engine restarts, defeating the purpose of the initial engine cut.
There is also the distraction of the information graphics, and while the changing background light on the digital speedometer (shades of green to shades of blue) is adequate, additional eco-info could be seen as a distraction. For the driver who finds the eco-effort too difficult, then there is the option of the Econ button (coloured green) which remaps the car's electronic management system to marginally limit power and torque, introduce a more relaxed CVT shift pattern, refine throttle response and scale down the air-conditioning. And at journey's end the Ecoguide gauge changes to an "eco score" display to provide a virtual reward to the driver, with trees and flowers in healthy mode for the light of foot and in withered form for the naughty; or are they seasonal-dependent?
Equipment-wise, the Insight is not a stripped-out economy model – far from it, with the base SE comprehensively equipped and the ES fully loaded with manual paddle shifts on the steering wheel, heated front seats, multifunction steering wheel, automatic lights and wipers, and USB port. Differentiated externally from the SE, the ES has larger 16" alloy wheels, and rear privacy glass.
Overall, the Insight is a medium-car solution that takes on board the current concerns for fuel economy and environmental protection. Parallel inclusion of an electric motor in the transmission is a cost effective solution, while improvements to battery technology allows for a lighter and more compact 108 volt unit; in effect a reduction from 11 battery modules in the Civic Hybrid to 7 in the Insight. An added advantage is a large boot of 408 litres capacity on par with the market sector.
Reliability-wise, there should be no concerns as this is Honda's fifth hybrid featuring IMA technology (Integrated Motor Assist), and in addition to the 3-year/60,000-mile standard warranty there is an additional 8-year power train cover with a 10-year chassis corrosion warranty.
The SE model is quoted as returning 64.2mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 101g/km while its benchmark 0-62mph time is 12.5 seconds en route to a potential top speed of 113mph.
The Insight is Honda's chosen path to environmental efficiency and its hybrid solution competes with other developments from the major manufacturers. The new Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion will have a CO2 emissions of 99g/km when it goes on sale later this year, the Ford Focus Econetic emits 114g/km while returning 65.7 mpg and Citroen's C4 diesel range has emissions as low as 118g/km and a similar fuel consumption to the Insight.
But the additional feature of the Honda Insight is claimed to be its price. This will not be released until March 3, but if it is to provide the power of dreams and open up affordable hybrid ownership to a wider market, it must surely hug the £15,000 price tag as closely as possible.
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