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September 4, 2008
Honda Brings Back The Insight
By Jen Dunnaway
Editor
As hybrids go, I always liked the original Honda Insight a lot better than Toyota’s Prius. It’s way less awkward-looking, its little truncated rear references the CRX, and its fender-skirted roundiness almost makes it look like it should have its own mouse pad. Plus, after the Insight was killed off a couple of years ago, owning one took on a kind of renegade flavor—something about it says true geek car, whereas the Prius just aims to placate sanctimonious suburban know-nothings.
Well, now Honda’s bringing back the Insight, and it looks exactly like… the Prius. The all-new Insight will share nothing with Honda’s original, and while Honda was the first major manufacturer to put a production hybrid on the road, it seems that for the new car they’ll be taking all their styling cues from the ultra-successful and ultimately ho-hum Prius. The new Insight will be bulkier than the original, but smaller than the Civic, and Honda hopes to keep the price below $20,000 to make it competitive with both current hybrid offerings and small gas-motored cars. But it kind of sucks that, in the race to the middle, they’ve taken away everything that made the Insight cooler than the Prius in the first place. Watch for it to be unveiled next month at the Paris Auto Show.
Source: Car & Driver.
The new Insight along with the FCX Clarity and CR-Z concepts.
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Dhillaz
Sep 6, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Sorry, link came out wrong in last post:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/used_car_reviews/article3552994.ece
Dhillaz
Sep 6, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I think I know what’s going on.
Uneducated tree-huggers actually like the bulky, quirky styling (I say “uneducated” because independent road tests have proven a massive BMW 520d is more fuel efficient than the Prius: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/used_car_reviews/article3552994.ece).
The Insight was similar to the CRX, with its ‘boy racer’ styling, so its main market…the boy racer, wouldn’t actually want a fuel efficient and environmentally friendly car. As a result, no one bought the Insight, and Honda has learned their lesson.
Jason
Sep 5, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Nothing to do with the debate at hand, but when an old Insight came into the used car dealership where I used to detail, we all had to check it out. Sure it had over 300K and was no longer a hybrid, but it was interesting. My favorite part: When you pull up the rear carpet you’ll find a sticker on the battery pack. “Warning: You will be killed or injured if you tamper with this battery.”
…something along those lines.
Derrick
Sep 5, 2008 at 1:17 pm
lame, just lame.
Toyota Tech
Sep 5, 2008 at 2:58 am
Just wanted to let you know that toyotas are Japnese cars.. have a nice day Honda guys.
cknarf
Sep 5, 2008 at 2:52 am
Looks better than the last one!
CR-Z is the best looking in my opinion.
Artie99
Sep 4, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Sooo, Honda is taking design advice from the Chinese then?
Kunal
Sep 4, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Thats exactly what I thought when I saw the fcx for the first time. I am a through and through honda fan, but this is kinda dissapointing. I’m 16 and I could probably come up with better ideas than just jacking your main opponent’s most famous car design. I understand that they have to come up with and idea that could directly combat the prius, but where is the ingenuity? I’m sure the thousands of honda fans will still buy it, but it saddens me to think that Honda has gone the way of shitty Chinese car makers.