Honda Gives Insight into new Hybrid

Honda, the first automaker to sell a hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in the form of the two-seat Insight, announced in Paris that it is to take hybrid technology into a new era of affordability with a revised model shown here in concept form.

A production Insight is expected to debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January and go on sale in Japan, Europe and North America in the spring of 2009.

With design connections to the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle, the Insight Concept maintains the sleek aerodynamic look characteristic of the original Insight and continues to take its place in the Honda lineup as a dedicated hybrid model.

Designed to accommodate both passengers and cargo comfortably, both the size and the weight of the hybrid system have been reduced for this five-seat family vehicle. A new platform was created for the Insight with the hybrid control unit and the battery located under the cargo area.

Powered by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, which has been modified to reduce cost and weight, the Insight combines a lightweight and compact 1.3-liter gasoline engine is with an electric motor to achieve fuel economy on par with the Civic Hybrid, along with low CO2 emissions.

"We are developing this vehicle to achieve excellent fuel efficiency on par with Civic Hybrid… but at a significantly reduced price," stated Takeo Fukui, president and chief executive officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Without announcing pricing, Fukui stated that one of the goals with the new Insight is to bring the price of hybrid vehicles into a bracket where a broader range of people can afford them.

Honda's strategy is to make hybrids both more accessible and more appealing to a broader range of customers, and the Insight is the first element of a new hybrid strategy that will include three new models in the next four years including one derived from the CR-Z show car and another from the compact, Fit.