2010 Honda Insight Hybrid Makes World Debut at the North American International Auto Show

More affordable five-passenger, five-door Honda hybrid to go on sale in the beginning of April 2009

DETROIT, U.S.A., January 11, 2009– The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid car made its world debut today at the North American International Auto Show. Utilizing the latest generation of Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA®) hybrid technology and new, more cost-efficient production methods, the 2010 Insight defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology, providing hybrid customers with a new level of affordability, fun-to-drive performance, and a U.S. EPA city/highway fuel-economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon.

The 2010 Insight will be launched at Honda dealers throughout the United States in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced below the Civic Hybrid.

“Honda hybrids have always offered great value, high fuel efficiency and a healthy dose of fun near the middle price range in the Honda lineup,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. “With the introduction of the all-new Insight, we’re opening up Honda’s fun-to-drive, versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid technology to an entirely new group of buyers that previously may not have considered a hybrid because of either image or cost."

Evoking the advanced and aerodynamic five-door sedan design first deployed on the revolutionary FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the new Insight has a low center of gravity and a spacious five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving experience and roomy, versatile interior space that customers have come to expect from Honda.

To help Insight owners realize the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, the Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™). Eco Assist combines multiple functions:


-A driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), engine and related powertrain components to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency;

-a driver feedback function that uses an innovative speedometer display with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency; and

-a unique fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic to provide feedback to the driver on current-trip driving efficiency and lifetime fuel-efficient driving performance.

All Insights are powered by an advanced 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT, along with a new generation of Honda’s IMA hybrid system for exceptional fuel economy and fun-to-drive performance.

The Insight’s IMA system incorporates a 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) – recapturing and storing kinetic energy from vehicle braking and deceleration and supplying additional power for acceleration when needed. Packaging of the ultra-compact IMA battery and IPU in the vehicle’s rear floor allows the enhanced utility of a 60/40 split and fold-down rear seat back.

The Insight’s IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed driving conditions. It also provides for cylinder deactivation within the gasoline engine during deceleration and for engine shutoff when the vehicle is stopped. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range in excess of 400 miles.

Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver- and front-passenger active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height, enhancing protection for Insight occupants while reducing the potential for injury to occupants of the opposing vehicle in a frontal collision.

Additional standard features on all new Insights include 60/40 split and fold-down rear seatbacks; two-tier digital instrument panels; automatic climate control; power windows, mirrors and door locks; a tilting and telescoping steering wheel and a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 audio playback, an auxiliary audio input jack and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC).

Insight EX models add alloy wheels, cruise control, 6-speaker audio system with USB audio interface, steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters, Honda Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) and an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition.

Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America’s first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. American Honda has announced plans to increase its U.S. hybrid sales beyond the new Insight with the introduction of a third hybrid car, based on the Honda CR-Z concept vehicle, within the next couple of years. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the world’s most advanced production automobile.

Source;
http://world.honda.com/news/2009/4090111Insight-Hybrid-World-Debut/

Technical Specs of the 2009 Honda Insight with more Pictures

"Thanks to the January 2009 issue of Honda's official Belgian magazine, we won't have to wait until the opening of the Detroit show this weekend to learn about the new Insight Hybrid's technical specifications. Even though the magazine is in French, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to make ends-meet. First of all, as anticipated, the Insight will use the same hybrid drivetrain as the Civic IMA Hybrid combining a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 88HP (IMA: 95 PS) at 5.800 rpm and 123Nm (90 lb.ft) of torque at 4.600 with an electric motor producing 13.6 HP and 103Nm (76 lb.ft) of torque.

The hybrid drivetrain is matted to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). As with the IMA, the Insight utilizes a set of batteries to store the energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. The energy is then used to power the electric motor. Honda claims that the Insight achieves a combined fuel consumption in the European test cycle of 4.4 liters per 100 km (53.5mpg US) with CO2 emissions of only 101 g/km.

Comparatively, the Civic Hybrid consumes on average 4.6 liters per 100 km (51.3mpg US) while the soon-to-be-replaced Prius III, 4.3 liters per 100km (54.7mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 104 g/km.

The spec sheet reveals that the Insight is slightly more compact than the current Toyota Prius measuring in at 4,395 mm in length, 1,695 mm in width and 1,425 mm in height (Prius: 4,450 mm x 1,725 mm x 1,490 mm).

The Belgian Insight and, most likely, all European market models, will be available in two trims, Comfort and Elegance. From what we were able to translate from the magazine, the base model's standard equipment will include ABS, VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist), airbags, 15-inch wheels, automatic climate control and a radio-CD. Enhancing to the Elegance will add Bluetooth, a parking assist system, cruise control, fog lights, heated front seats and rain sensors.

For details of the North American market Insight, we'll have to wait until January 11 when the Detroit Show opens its doors to the members of the press. Until then, enjoy the full image gallery of the Insight that has been updated with new photos."

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-insight-hybrid-specs-slipped.html

Scans of Official JDM Honda Insight Leaked

Some scans have surfaced of Japans Honda Insight (same car we'll be getting here in North America). The production version but the brochure scans give us our first glimpse of the 2009 Insight's more conservatively styled rear-end along with the hybrid's interior which remains for the most part unchanged from the Paris Auto Show.

"The brochure that was uploaded on the Honda enthusiast site called Temple of Vtec also reveals a picture of the Insight Modulo. For those wondering, Modulo is the name Honda gives to jazzed-up versions of factory-designed cars. The accessorized Insight pictured above features a sporty bodykit with a front spoiler that incorporates an extra set of (fog?) lights, side skirts, a rear apron and larger alloy wheels. Finally, we also learn from the leaked brochure that the JDM Insight will be offered in three trim levels, G, L and LS."

Source; http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-honda-insight-hybrid-jdm-brochure.html

Via; http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=805848&page_number=1#805848

The hybrid wars heat up

Found a interesting article on the Hybrid battle between Honda and Toyota.
Honda's new hybrid throws down the gauntlet to Toyota

JEREMY CATO
From Friday's Globe and Mail
E-mail
December 26, 2008 at 4:59 PM EST

PHOENIX — Oil prices are going up. As I sit here writing about Honda's new hybrid, the 2010 Insight, on the desk next to me is the front page of The New York Times declaring that major oil and gas projects now being delayed are setting the stage for "another surge in oil prices once the global economy recovers."

So a spike in the price of oil is really just a matter of time. For Honda right now, the price of oil is not so much an issue of time, but of timing.

That is, will pump prices go back up to the levels of last May/June that looked like they would make the launch of the gas-stingy 2010 Insight hybrid a smashing success?

In the early summer, with oil pushing $140 (U.S.) a barrel and apparently headed to $200 with a bullet — as predicted by Jeff Rubin at CIBC World Markets, among others — a clean emissions fuel sipper like the Insight looked like a slam-dunk winner.

Yet as the Times points out, "oil markets have had their sharpest-ever spikes and their steepest drops this year, all within a few months."

Indeed, by September, with oil prices sliding dramatically and pickup sales actually picking up, Honda nonetheless used the Paris motor show for the worldwide debut of a "concept" version of its new five-door gasoline-electric hatchback.

This hybrid, said Honda officials not quite willing to admit to past mistakes, would challenge rival Toyota's success with the Prius hybrid hatchback ($27,400). The new Honda would be far less expensive than the Prius — perhaps as low as $19,000 — and would thus set new standards in hybrid affordability.

By November, Honda was again teasing the public with more details about the Insight at the Los Angeles auto show. The company said its Insight would not only be cheaper than any other hybrid car on the market it would also become an almost instant best-seller.

The low price, said Honda types, would make it possible to sell 200,000 of the cars each year in Japan, Europe and North America. Toyota has yet to sell 200,000 Prius cars in a single year and it's the world's hybrid best seller.

Honda plans to introduce hybrid versions of other models, too. One is a sporty compact car, a 2+2 hatchback based on the CR-Z concept first shown a year ago at the Tokyo motor show.

The longer-term goal is to sell 500,000 hybrids a year world-wide by early next decade. Toyota, meanwhile, aims to reach annual sales of one million hybrids globally by the same time.

Thankfully, the Insight tease will be officially over by the second week of January. That's when Honda — one of the most secretive car companies in the world — will finally give us the straight goods on the Insight.

But why wait? After all, I am here in Phoenix to drive the Insight and get all the details first-hand. Unfortunately, in return for the chance to drive the car, I've agreed not to share what I've learned here in Arizona until Jan. 11. This is so that Honda can do a one-time global unveiling at the Detroit auto show.

But there is more than one way to tell a story. Using other sources, I've already pieced together almost all you need to know about the Insight.

The price will be in the $20,000-range. Not the mid-$20,000s and not the high-$20,000s, either. Take that, Prius. (For the record, Toyota will unveil a new version of the Prius in January at the Detroit show, though the likelihood of a major price drop is not great.)

Honda has reined in costs for the 2010 Insight by using Honda's existing Integrated Motor Assist hybrid powertrain, though in a smaller package and with lighter components.

Like the Civic Hybrid, the Insight's system combines an electric motor with a 1.3-litre VTEC engine. Its main power source, a highly efficient, lightweight gasoline engine, will be assisted by battery power.

Fuel economy should be in the same range as the Civic Hybrid ($26,350): 4.7 litres/100 km city/4.3 highway, versus 4.0 city/4.2 highway for the Prius.

Toyota's "full" hybrid setup is more fuel-efficient because it more thoroughly weds a battery-powered vehicle with a gasoline engine. The Prius is able to run only on batteries, only on gas, or some combination of the two thanks to smart electronic controls.

As the fuel-economy numbers indicate, Toyota's approach delivers unsurpassed fuel economy in city driving where battery power comes into play for stop-and-go driving. At slower speeds, say crawling through traffic, the Civic Hybrid cannot run on battery power alone and that will be true for the 2010 Insight.

On the other hand, like the Prius, the Insight only will be available as a hybrid. That will appeal to buyers who like to tout their eco-friendly credentials as they commute to work or pull up to the red carpet at the Oscars.

By contrast, the hybrid versions of the Honda Civic, Ford Escape, upcoming Ford Fusion and Toyota Highlander look virtually identical to their gasoline-powered counterparts. All that identifies them as hybrids are some discrete badges saying "hybrid."

So the Insight's ace in the whole, above everything else, is price, rather than image.

My burning question to Honda Canada executive vice-president Jerry Chenkin boils down to this: If oil prices don't go back up by April, if gas stays cheap, isn't the Insight in danger of being a giant and costly flop?

"No. If the price of gas were $1 a litre or 50 cents a litre or $2.00 a litre, Honda would still be developing this product — these products — because it is part of the culture," says Chenkin, a 35-year veteran of the auto industry. "It [the Insight] is not built to combat the price of gas; it's built to preserve the planet."

It's true that Honda does have the most fuel-efficient fleet in North America and that fact bolsters Honda's case as a "green" auto maker. During the glory days of big pickups and SUVs, Honda refused to join the party — although Honda does make a large SUV-like vehicle, the Pilot, and a big minivan, the Odyssey, and a mid-size pickup, the Ridgeline.

This year, Honda's big product introduction was the 2009 Fit ($14,980), which is rated at a healthy if not hybrid-like 7.2 L/100 km city/5.7 highway. The quirky little hatchback is doing well; Chenkin anticipates selling perhaps 20,000 Fits next year in Canada.

Chenkin insists that Honda is a philosophy-driven company and that's why Honda is pushing ahead with the Insight regardless of fuel prices. That same philosophy prevented Honda from pressing ahead with large SUVs and trucks, even when they were big sellers. Despite pressure from dealers, Honda never went ahead with a V-8 engine, either.

"Toyota went in that direction, not us," says an obviously competitive Chenkin.

The point Chenkin and other Honda officials want to make is that the Insight should register with a public familiar with Honda's approach to auto making. That includes a reputation for reliability and handling, not just fuel efficiency.

"Honda's cars seem to have more personality than Toyota's," said Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the research firm Global Insight in Troy, Mich. "Their cars are enjoyable to drive, and not just appliances."

Yes, but Toyota's success with hybrids, and Honda's stumbles with them, clearly grate on Honda officials. The Civic Hybrid barely registers with the public and the Accord Hybrid was cancelled due to an utter lack of interest.

Meanwhile, Toyota's Prius is the runaway leader in the category and Toyota has a handful of other hybrids in its lineup, too.

With the Insight, Honda is issuing its challenge to the Toyota in general and the Prius in particular. In a nutshell, Honda is committed to taking a leadership role in hybrid technology.

"This new Insight will break new ground by providing an affordable hybrid to an expanded number of customers craving great fuel economy and great value," said Takeo Fukui, Honda's CEO, in Paris.

In the end, the picture that emerges of Honda is of a stubborn, go-it-alone auto maker that is determined to learn from its mistakes, and chart its own course. Thus, the Insight concept is a Prius look-alike, but Honda's hybrid technology is vastly different and, in a way, more elegantly simple and highly efficient than Toyota's or Ford's or GM's.

Honda officials argue that its hybrid technology is cost-efficient and, in small commuter cars, it is ideal for squeezing out fuel economy gains and lower emissions in stop-and-go city driving.

Regenerative braking, meanwhile, recharges the onboard battery in all that rush-hour driving.
In a nutshell, Honda wants to sell a fleet of smaller hybrids with smaller sticker prices. The idea is to make hybrid cars mainstream by lowering the price to the point where the fuel economy savings more than offset the price premium.

Cost is one reason why Honda is not pursuing — for now, at least — a pure electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid. Electric cars make no sense until lightweight and affordable lithium ion batteries are available, company officials say.

But Honda may be close to rethinking its electric car stance, having finally inked a partnership with a lithium-ion battery supplier, GS Yuasa, that will manufacture next-generation lithium-ion batteries for Honda's gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.

Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in the current Prius, Civic Hybrid and 2010 Insight, and thus they are seen as the next big advancement in electric cars and hybrids.

This latest move is another signal that Honda plans to be competitive despite a global recession and tight credit that is strangling demand for new vehicles and hurting profitability even at lean, efficient auto makers such as Honda.

Make no mistake, these are challenging times. Honda, Japan's second biggest automaker, recently cut its annual operating profit forecast by two-thirds.

What is most interesting is Honda's response to events. The company has gone into full crisis mode, with a long-term plan for recovery that recognizes oil prices will eventually go back up — and dramatically.

In prepared remarks in Japan last week, CEO Fukui said that Honda will fully concentrate its resources on the development of fuel-efficient products. The keys to achieve this goal are advancements of electromotive technologies including hybrid models as well as motorcycles and small cars.

So even as Honda is cutting spending on everything from Formula One racing (Honda is out of it) to senior executive pay (slashed by 10 per cent), the company is focusing on clean and fuel-efficient technologies.

Oil prices are going up and when they do, Honda plans to be there offering more than just one Insight hybrid.

Source;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081226.whHybridHondaMain1226/BNStory/specialGlobeAuto/?pageRequested=all

Honda outlines its green car future

It’s the time of year when most of us take stock of what’s gone before and evaluate our futures - and Japanese car maker Honda is no exception.

Its CEO Takeo Fukui has outlined the steps that Honda is taking in the short-term to tackle the global financial crisis while also addressing the company’s long term green car commitments.

According to Fukui, Honda will concentrate its efforts on the development of fuel efficient cars more than ever. He has outlined hybrid models of both small cars and motorcycles as the key to achieving this goal. Honda believes that hybrid technology is the most realistic path to carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction at this moment and will be focusing its energies on hybrids in an effort to achieve mass market penetration.

In particular, the eagerly anticipated Honda Insight, which will debut at January’s Detroit show, has been strongly emphasised while the company will also consider applying hybrid technology to medium and large-size vehicles.

To support the sale of hybrid models, the company will strengthen its manufacturing system. Production of the hybrid motor for the IMA system has already begun for the first time at the Suzuka Factory and motor capacity will be increased to 250,000 units annually. Honda will also establish a production system and determine the capabilities needed for a further increase in demand for hybrid cars.

In addition, Honda will focus on accelerating product development of small cars to fulfil strong demand from customers, particularly in emerging countries. A new small car will be positioned in the class below the Fit and be introduced in the next two-three years.

Honda will also remain committed to advancing its global production system with a central focus on Japan and in creating fuel-efficient products. According to Fukui, Honda is developing a battery powered electric motorcycle to be introduced to the market in around two years.

Source;
http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2008/12/22/honda-outlines-its-green-car-future/

Hondas First Official 2009 Honda Insight Production Pic with Info

2009 Honda Insight Hybrid to Make World Debut at the North American International Auto Show

TORRANCE, Calif., U.S.A., December 3, 2008– The all-new 2009 Honda Insight hybrid will make its world debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The five-passenger, five-door Insight will go on sale in the spring of 2009.

The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year - approximately 100,000 in North America - and will utilize a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™).

A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced to market the first mass produced low-emission gasoline vehicles; America's first commercially produced gas-electric hybrid car and the world's first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named "greenest automaker" by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.

Source;
http://world.honda.com/news/2008/4081203North-American-International-Auto-Show/