Honda starts taking orders for new Insight in Japan
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Honda Insight
The new 2009 Honda Insight is going on sale in Japan this week, starting at a base price of about $21,000. In Japan the rival Toyota Prius starts at about $25,700, so the Honda has a significant price advantage. Honda won't be announcing U.S. pricing until closer to its April 22 on-sale date but it is expected to start under $20,000 here, perhaps as low as $19,000. Because of volatility in commodity pricing right now, Honda is waiting to set a price. The sales target for the Insight is 200,000 annually with half of those in North America and the rest split between Europe and Japan. Honda EVP Koichi Kondo acknowledged at the Japanese launch that the 100,000 sales figure in North America may not be met in the first year if the current sales slump doesn't end soon.
Related:
Gallery: ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight
Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight
[Source: Detroit News]
Live photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
noz 6:13PM (2/05/2009)
I am so disappointed with the look of this car...it really truly is hideous..HIDEOUS. The Fit was a better looking car, already ready to be hybridized, etc.
Some angles on this car are so repulsive, it's really hard to swallow.
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Chris M 8:31PM (2/05/2009)
The design is quite similar to the FCX Clarity, the front end is darn near identical. So does Noz also hate the Clarity? Of course not, it runs on his favorite H2 fuel!
Admit it, Noz, the real reason for your disdain of the Insight is that it isn't H2 powered and never will be.
noz 8:54PM (2/05/2009)
Chris M...
You tend to not make sense most of the time...but this one takes the cake.
The FCX is hideous. And this is nothing but a scaled down version of it IMO.
It has nothing to do with the powertrain...it's got everything to do with the looks. You may have an agenda you push all the time like Carney..but I don't.
But honestly, your comment here takes the prize for sure.
Insert foot in mouth now Chris.
CraigK 7:32PM (2/05/2009)
Did they really have to make it look like the next generation Toyota Prius? The Prius is fugly and this car looks slightly better but pretty much the same.
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noz 8:55PM (2/05/2009)
Actually the new Prius is a much better looking car IMO. It looks more proportional than this thing does.
Herm 2:26AM (2/06/2009)
Actually it looks pretty cute, but it does not look like the front end can take a 5mph impact. Hopefully it will sell out.
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Yikes 11:19AM (2/06/2009)
I for one like the way it looks.
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Dave 11:27AM (2/06/2009)
Does anyone know if this car qualifies for a federal tax credit when it is realeased?
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Sam Abuelsamid 1:30PM (2/06/2009)
No, Honda like Toyota has passed the 64,000 sales mark with its hybrids and no longer qualifies. Ford has also passed that threshold and the credits will be phased out on Ford hybrids beginning in April