Honda claims similarity between Insight and Prius a coincidence
Just a coincidence that the Prius (left) and the new Insight (right) are so similar?
Vehicle aerodynamics are a strange thing. While you can create perfect aerodynamic models using math, there is no ideal aerodynamic shape for a vehicle because there are so many variables - including style, which is constantly updated. Still, certain shapes are slipperier than others and the Toyota Prius' iconic egg-shaped look is quite good at moving through the air without disrupting things too much. So, is it that big a surprise that the new Honda Insight looks a lot like the Prius? According to Honda, the look is the result of making a vehicle with low drag, not one that takes on the Prius' style. Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky told the Detroit Free Press that, "It was done that way because it was the most aerodynamic design, and we were going for fuel economy." I'm inclined to believe Honda on this, but you can't dismiss the similarities. Take a look in the galleries below.
Gallery: Paris 08: Honda Insight concept
Gallery: 2009 Toyota Prius
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tankd0g 11:29AM (9/15/2008)
The Prius has no style so I must assume it was the most aerodynamic shape that was practical. Honda's not likely to go a different route just to look different at the expense of aerodynamics. That's what they had to do in F1 due to regulations, and look at the spiraling pit of suck the F1 car is.
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Kevin 11:46AM (9/15/2008)
This doesn't surprise me one bit...
As soon as you ignore style and good taste and simply make a design to fit as best it can into certain parameters, the end result will be more or less the same, no matter who comes up with it.
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meme 12:15PM (9/15/2008)
I don't buy it. Yes, the general Kammback shape is a good shape for an aerodynamic sedan that maximizes space. That doesn't mean you have to copy pretty much *everything*. There's no reason that, for example, the windows and doors need to look the same.
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Kevin 3:40PM (9/15/2008)
Actually it does... once you define the primary shape, there's very little choice left in the way to fit all the conventional automobile amenities and characteristics into the prescribed space while still keeping it close enough to a "conventional" car design that consumers won't be totally turned off. (Assuming the Prius shape doesn't already turn you off....)
Blar 12:07PM (9/15/2008)
I want to be the first to call BS.
The GM EV1 had a lower Cd than the Prius, yet looks "car-like". Searching Wikipedia for automotive drag coefficient will show other cars slicker than the Prius, but that look nothing like it.
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Noz 12:30PM (9/15/2008)
I'm sorry but the EV1 DOES NOT look like a car.
reciii 10:59PM (9/15/2008)
Ummm, only a 2 seater, not 4/5, hence NOT a real consumer car. 2 seaters are fun for show and efficient for 1 person but has very little utility for most people.
John Rowell 11:10PM (9/15/2008)
I thought the EV1 was very attractive.
stevefazek 12:34PM (9/15/2008)
It should be noted the most aerodynamic shape to interior space ratio is the shape the prius and insight have.
yeah you can get lower drag but would lose a ton of space
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Rick 7:17PM (9/15/2008)
There was a comment on antoerh car site that the prius has a .26 drag and an Opel sedan had a .27. So I doubt the validity it was to reduce drag. Hell, even the Volt looks like a prius.
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Peter 4:32PM (9/15/2008)
I'm sure the last thing Honda wanted was for their car to look like a 5 year old design from their primary competitor. I believe them when they say that the shape was dictated by aerodynamics and packaging.
You can see that the elements that are relatively flexible have been styled much differently from the Prius, such as the grille, headlights, and taillights.
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Warner Young 6:07PM (9/15/2008)
This would probably be less of a big deal if Honda hadn't been making fun of the Prius' shape last year. Having done that, it's more ironic when their own car ends up with the same shape.
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GenWaylaid 8:34PM (9/15/2008)
It's important to note that the Prius shape is not the most aerodynamic shape for a car. However, it probably is the most aerodynamic shape for a four-door hatchback with significant rear headroom. Once the decision was made that the Insight and the Volt had to be compact five-seater cars, they were more or less doomed to come out looking Prius-like. If a car company set out to make a small two-seater hybrid coupe, there's a very good chance it would resemble the first-generation Insight or the EV-1. We need to get streamlined hybrids in more market segments to get more variety in their shapes.
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Red 10:41AM (9/16/2008)
While I agree with what you've said, the Prius is not at all comfortable and I'm about 6'. This is the second biggest complaint I've heard from Prius drivers, after their car getting nowhere near the advertised mileage.
ivan 1:07AM (9/18/2008)
Then I am looking forward the CRZ
yeah, baby!!!
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Blar 12:16AM (9/17/2008)
Actually, a one seater would be the ideal commuter, a two seater is too wide (drag, weight, parking)
Yes, the EV1 was small, but Cd is a dimensionless figure. The car could be scaled up to give more space and as long as everything is to the same scale, the Cd does not change.
Either way, my point is that the Prius does not have a monopoly on aerodynamic form. The 0.26 Cd of the Prius isn't even anything that exceptional. Saab sedans get a 0.28 and look completely normal. The Mercedes Bionic concept (Google it if you don't know about it) was 0.19 - 27% lower drag than Prius, looks different than Prius, and still has plenty of interior space (very upright design).
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SPEED1 7:30AM (9/17/2008)
the results from your wind tunnel will be the same
as the results from my wind tunnel. all cars look
the same and this articles just shows that the
author works for AOL.
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dude 8:29AM (9/17/2008)
Yep they are both dumb looking alright.
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Nicholas W. Jones 10:24AM (9/17/2008)
Having purchased a Toyota Camry Hybrid instead of the pathetic Honda Accord Hybird, I am particularly fond of 40 + MPG. Honda made a significant strategic error is trying to put a V-6 in their Accord Hybrid. It got minimally better fuel mileage than the regular V-6 Accord, cost more, and performed at least 15 MPG below the Camry Hybrid. When you pay more for a hybrid, you must receive a substantial increase in fuel mileage to justify the cost. Honda seems to be moving in the direction of larger vehicles and more power. They seem to have lost their traditional goal of fuel economy. If their Insight looks like a Prius, perhaps this is the sincerist form of flattery, but I suspect similar results in the wind tunnel.
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GUS PANTEL 12:27PM (9/17/2008)
WHO GIVES A HOOT IF HONDA USED THE SAME AREODYNAMICS AS THE TOYOTA PRIUS. THEY'RE BOTH UGLY AND THIS HYBRID PHENOMENUM IS A SCAM. I WOULDN'T BUY EITHER OF THESE IMPORTS ANYWAY!!!
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