Detroit Preview: Honda releases official pic of production Insight
by Sam Abuelsamid on Dec 3rd 2008 at 11:14AM 
The new Honda Insight will be making its world debut in production form at the Detroit Auto Show next month without a press conference. The first official photo of the production model came out this morning and it should come as a surprise to no one that it looks almost identical to the concept that appeared at Paris and LA this fall. In fact, aside from the bar under the grille being body colored instead of chrome and the conventional halogens replacing the LED headlights, it's pretty much spot on. Other details such as the door handles and exterior mirrors are also different from the concept for obvious practical reasons. The Insight goes on sale in the spring for a base price expected to be under $19,000.
Gallery: Paris 2008: Honda Insight Concept
[Source: Honda]
2009 Honda Insight Hybrid to Make World Debut at the North American International Auto Show
12/03/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -
The all-new 2009 Honda Insight hybrid will make its world debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The five-passenger, five-door Insight is expected to be the most affordable hybrid car available when it goes on sale in the spring of 2009.
The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year - approximately 100,000 in North America - and will utilize a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™).
A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced to market the first mass produced low-emission gasoline vehicles; America's first commercially produced gas-electric hybrid car and the world's first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named "greenest automaker" by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Red 11:26AM (12/03/2008)
Projector headlamps on a Honda under $19,000? When did Hell freeze over? ;-) Looks better than the concept; hopefully they reassigned whoever designed those ghastly wheels to cupholder design duty...
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dartingd 11:27AM (12/03/2008)
I could maybe see this being more fuel efficient w/ the civic hybrid wheels. Heck, it might even look better!
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Nobody Special 11:42AM (12/03/2008)
Ah, I think that's the Prius pictured ...... (joking).
Is this the beginning of even more 'cookie cutter cars'???????
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Gordio 11:44AM (12/03/2008)
I'm still hoping they come with a stick shift version...if not, I hope the CRZ comes soon (with a MT).
I have a disability: restless left leg syndrome aka "shiftus manualitis", and it would be a shame if Honda didn't modify their cars for people with our disease :(
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PeterG 12:01PM (12/03/2008)
Yeah, I suffer from that to. But apparently it afflicts such a small number of Americans that they are unlikely to accommodate us.
a 12:03PM (12/03/2008)
In all of the stories about the "new" insight, I haven't seen anyone mention that the Honda insight was actually one of the first hybrids, introduced at about the same time as the Prius. Originally it was a two-seater, which probably explains why it was never as popular as Toyota's hybrid.
This may be an extensive redesign, but it's not a new car. Honda is just reindroducing it now that the market for hybrids has improved.
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ryan 4:06AM (12/04/2008)
That is odd, most articles that I have read said exactly the opposite of what you are saying. Even so, the new Insight is nothing more than a spiritual successor to the first Insight. I doubt it will attain as good of FE as the first one, though its practicality is much better.
Sam Abuelsamid 9:30PM (12/04/2008)
The new insight is in fact a completely different car from the original. Part of the problem with the original was that it used a unique chassis made largely of aluminum. The small two seat configuration limited its appeal meaning Honda could never get economies of scale from the car and it was a money loser. The new car is a much less expensive and more practical design.
Jason Sander 12:07PM (12/03/2008)
Looks hot! I probably should've waited before buying my car (Fit), this vehicle seems pretty awesome. Admittedly, though, I wouldn't buy anything before a test-drive.
Too bad about losing the LED headlights, though. Maybe there will be an HID option.
On what Gordio said: I don't think they can do a manual transmission in a hybrid electric drive train, it uses CVT does it not?
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Red 12:26PM (12/03/2008)
The first gen. Insight initially came with a manual transmission. It's really just a matter of whether they choose to market it or not. I would suspect the Insight won't get one, but the CR-Z likely will.
emdee 1:02PM (12/03/2008)
Wow, they really bored it up compared to the concept. What is it that happens to cars when going from concept to production?
Looking at the photo fo the concept and production version from the same angle back and fourth, most of the stuff that make the concept look nice are minor details that they probably could have kept on the production model.
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Cellien 1:07PM (12/03/2008)
Eww.
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jimgee 2:55PM (12/03/2008)
Double EWW and YUK!
I hope I don't see one on the road - I want to keep my lunch down.
noz 1:37PM (12/03/2008)
Man they did bore it up...seriously.
How much extra would it have cost to keep that front end black and offer some visual cues to the car?
Why not keep the center mounted fogs?
Perhaps it's the angle and those God awful rims.
I wonder how much they dulled down the interior?
If this the case, I'd rather go for a Fit.
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rob 10:59PM (12/04/2008)
The rims are fine, but the spokes are ghastly...
(Sorry, pet peeve. You can't usually see the "rims" unless you take the wheel off the car and look at it from the back, and they all look about the same...)
noz 7:46PM (12/05/2008)
Well...with any luck, we'll hopefully get more variety in the next year or so...hybrid Fit? Hybrid Soul? etc?
The time has come..long overdue.
Gary 2:41AM (12/04/2008)
The production model looks frumpy compared to the concept. It looks even more boring and Prius-y now. I'm sure that I'll be getting a lot of hate for saying this, but I think that the Volt would be worth it's extra fancy technology combined with better looks. Sort of like going from a Yaris to a Mini... Similar-sized cars, but the Mini is still quite popular considering how much more it costs.
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vicki bisceglia 10:40AM (1/14/2009)
I really need a hatchback with easy pullout of the cargo, plus a fuel cell wether a cell or an electric powered vehicle, plus low to medium priced. I've had three Hondas And no problems with any . lease bring on the new future cars.
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