The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Handsome looks
- 50 mpg-plus promised
- Largely runs electrically
- Handsome, conventional interior
Dislikes
- Too much like a Civic?
- Will high-end power be enough?
- Does gas mileage matter any more?
- Should a plug be optional too?
While we haven't driven it yet, the 2019 Honda Insight appears to be handsome, high-mileage dedicated hybrid car that no one will have to apologize for.
The 2019 Honda Insight is a new compact hybrid sedan, related to the Civic of the same size, with an EPA fuel-efficiency rating promised to be 50 mpg combined or better. Trim levels haven't yet been specified, but there will likely be at least a low-end LX and mid-range EX model, perhaps with a top-level Touring trim.
A concept version shown in January 2018 appeared to be an all-but-final production car with a few extra flourishes. When the Insight starts to roll off the lines in Indiana sometime in the middle of 2018, it will be Honda's first dedicated hybrid model built in the U.S. The company hopes third time's a charm, after two previous generations of Insight—one a bare-bones subcompact, the other a tiny two-seater—didn't.
The 2019 Insight slots between the Civic and the Accord in Honda's lineup; the company calls it a "premium compact" car. It will face off against a range of small hybrid hatchbacks, from the new Hyundai Ioniq to the three-car Toyota Prius lineup. It may also compete with the hybrid versions of mid-size sedans like the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and Toyota Camry—not to mention Honda's own Accord Hybrid, which is a size larger.
While all the world's heading for crossover utility vehicles, small passenger cars still get the best gas mileage. The Insight is likely to be carry the highest fuel-economy ratings of any model in Honda's lineup without a plug.
The Insight will likely receive high ratings for its looks. With the fourth-generation Toyota Prius clad in downright bizarre lines, the new Insight is both identifiable as a Honda and handsome in its own right. The fastback shape echoes that of the Civic and the latest Accord, and the upright front end with a chrome strip across it says "Honda" family immediately. But it's smoother and less busy than the Civic of roughly the same size, closer to the calm elegance of the larger Accord. The result is a Civic-size car that looks a little more refined, a little more grownup. The LED headlights and taillights that are now all but mandatory on high-efficiency cars are present, of course.
Inside, the 2019 Insight seats five in typically stylish but functional Honda interior. Ahead of the driver is the usual two-gauge instrument cluster, and a touchscreen that stands slightly proud of the surface occupies the center of the dash just in front of two large vents. On the console are Honda's space-saving new gear selector push-and-pull buttons, along with a flat pad for mobile phones as well as the usual cup holders and other nooks and crannies for storage.
The Insight's powertrain is similar to that used in the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, but without that car's large battery pack that can be plugged in to recharge it. The 1.5-liter inline-4 runs on the ultra-efficient Atkinson cycle and is paired with a simple, ingenious, and powerful two-motor hybrid system that replaces the transmission entirely.
Unlike Toyota hybrids, the Honda system mostly runs on battery power alone or with the engine acting as a generator to recharge the battery that powers the car. The engine only clutches in to power the wheels directly when maximum power is required or at highway speeds.This should give the Insight instant response to the accelerator, and potentially quite peppy performance around town.
It's too early for Honda to have released any specifications or ratings for the 2019 Insight. In the larger and heavier Clarity Plug-In Hybrid mid-size sedan, the motor within the hybrid system that powers the car is rated at 135 kilowatts (181 horsepower) and 232 pound-feet of torque. The other motor acts as a generator to recharge the battery; when the engine is used to power the wheels, the two motors are clutched together to connect the entire drivetrain to the front wheels.
Standard or optional safety features on the new Insight will include Honda's clever LaneWatch system, which uses a camera in the right-side door mirror to display a view of the car's blind spot on the center screen as soon as the driver signals a right turn. The Honda Sensing suite of active-safety features includes lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and a traffic-sign recognition feature common on European cars for several years but largely new to mass-priced U.S. vehicles.
The 2019 Honda Insight will go on sale sometime during the second half of 2018. Final features, specifications, and prices will be released closer to that time.
