2019 Honda Insight hybrid cleans up with estimated 55 mpg city
It's between the Civic and Accord in terms of both size and price.
At the 2018 Detroit Auto Show , Honda showed off an early version of the Insight hybrid sedan. Now, at the 2018 New York Auto Show , it's ready to show us the full monty.
The 2019 Honda Insight is a hybrid sedan positioned between the Civic and Accord in terms of both size and price. A theoretical replacement for a Civic Hybrid, the Insight carries the looks and tech of its siblings, but with a decidedly efficient bent.
Under the hood is a 1.5-liter I4 operating on the Atkinson cycle. It mates to an electric motor to produce a net 151 horsepower and 197 pound-feet of torque. Its lithium-ion battery, sandwiched under the rear seat, isn't enough to produce plug-in-like range. Instead, it operates as a series hybrid (like, say, the Prius), providing electricity to the wheels or the battery pack as it sees fit. Paddles on the steering wheel let drivers select between three different strenghs of regenerative braking. Honda estimates a city fuel economy of 55 mpg.
It doesn't look all that different from the earlier prototype version, but now there's an interior!
The Insight shares a chassis with the Civic, but a lengthened wheelbase means there's a whopping 37.4 inches of rear legroom on offer, or about 1.5 inches more than the Civic has. Its 15.1-cubic-foot-trunk is also 3 cubic feet larger than the Civic's.
Honda Sensing, the automaker's suite of active and passive safety systems, will come as standard equipment. This includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. EX and Touring trims will also get LaneWatch, which puts a camera on the passenger-side mirror to offer a better look at the driver's blind spot.
The Insight will be offered in a total of three trims. The base LX gets LED headlights and running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, keyless start and a 7-inch display in the gauge cluster. Move up to the EX, and you get keyless entry, satellite radio and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The top-tier Touring trim has bigger wheels, rain-sensing wipers, heated leather seats, navigation and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.
The Insight will be built right here in the US of A, at Honda's plant in Greensburg, Indiana. It should be on sale later this year, and pricing will be released closer to its on-sale date.
