Honda South Africa has added a second hybrid model to its passenger car offering. The Insight, an established hybrid car in Europe and the US, joins the CR-Z hybrid sports coupé, which made its local debut earlier this year.
The Insight is a five-door family hatchback powered by Honda’s innovative IMA drivetrain – an efficient hybrid powertrain that combines a frugal, efficient petrol engine with a compact, lightweight electric assistance motor.
The combination allows good all-round performance while delivering excellent fuel economy and low CO2 exhaust emissions.
At the same time, the Insight’s sleek, aerodynamic hatchback offers spacious, versatile and practical accommodation, with flexible seating and an exceptional cargo compartment with 400 litres of loading space.
While the Insight was conceived to bring the benefits of hybrid technology to a broader motoring audience, with affordability and practicality as key attributes, it is comprehensively equipped, with a long list of standard comfort, convenience and safety features.
“The arrival of the Insight in SA has been eagerly anticipated for some time,” says Graham Eagle, director of sales and marketing at Honda SA.
“Its debut here is in line with Honda’s commitment to launch products reflecting cutting-edge technology and driving enjoyment, without losing sight of the need for value-added, eco-friendly motoring solutions.
“The launch of the Insight is the second hybrid car on offer by Honda SA. The highly positive reaction to the CR-Z proves that local motorists already acknowledge the compelling benefits of hybrid cars, and we’re proud to make that technology more accessible than ever before.”
Eagle says that while the current-generation Insight has been on sale in Europe since 2009, the version due for launch locally at the end of this year reflects some key updates introduced at last month’s Paris Motor Show.
“Due to the high demand internationally, we were obliged to delay the launch of the Insight in SA. Local motorists now benefit from the latest updates to the Insight, including improvements to the suspension, and a fresher interior. The result is the best iteration of the Insight to date, and a car that will surprise and delight South Africans on many levels.
Fluid, efficient exterior design
The design of the Insight was created to fuse the requirements of efficient aerodynamics, interior space, and aesthetic appeal into a single package. The five-door hatchback is also unmistakably Honda, and draws on some aspects of the FCX Clarity for its distinctive, wedged shape.
The front-end treatment combines a typical Honda ‘face’ with a narrow grille and slim headlights. The tapered profile acknowledges the car’s low drag coefficient, with the top half of the body tapering towards the rear, further boosting aerodynamic efficiency without compromising practicality.
The rear features a steep, distinctive tailgate – again determined by both practical and aerodynamic considerations – while the bright, eye-catching LED tail lights increase safety and visibility.
Spacious, flexible interior
The spacious, inviting interior of the Insight proves that compact cars don’t have to be cramped inside. It offers full seating for five occupants, while there’s more than 400 litres of cargo space, despite the presence of the battery pack. A split rear bench seat and a configurable boot floor add versatility.
The spacious, user-friendly cabin features a compelling sense of space, while also embracing the driver in a cockpit where ergonomics take centre stage. Excellent visibility is ensured by the slim A-pillars, and the overall cabin-forward configuration.
Rear vision is afforded via the integrated rear window below the traditional bootline, which ensures good low rearward visibility.
The comprehensive standard specification includes, electric windows, remote central locking, a six-speaker sound system with MP3/WMA playback capability and an iPod/USB port, climate control, cruise control, and electrically adjustable exterior mirrors.
Safety is comprehensively addressed via front, side and curtain airbags, together with ISOFIX child seat mountings, active head restraints, and inertia reel seatbelts.
High-tech hybrid drivetrain
The Insight will be offered in a single, high-specification derivative, powered by Honda’s established 1.3-litre i-VTEC engine with IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). The 1 339 cc four-cylinder unit has a power output of 65kW at 5 800rpm, with a torque peak of 121Nm at 4 500rpm.
The IMA electric motor is a slim and compact unit that is mounted between the engine and the Insight’s Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT) gearbox. It has a maximum output of 10.3 kW at 1 500rpm, together with 78.4 Nm of torque at 1 000rpm.
Combined, the petrol engine and electric motor deliver 73kW at 5 800rpm and 167Nm between 1 000 and 1 500rpm – figures that are comparable with a larger petrol engine, while achieving exceptional efficiency, with very low fuel consumption and emissions.
As a result, the Insight accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.5 seconds, and achieves a top speed of 182 km/h. Fuel consumption is just 4.6 litres/100 km in the combined cycle, and – astonishingly – needs only 4.7 l/100 km in urban driving environments. Equally impressive is the CO2 emissions rating of only 108 g/km.
Proven chassis components
The Insight chassis is cleverly designed allowing for more interior space, and improved packaging for the battery pack. The Insight comes with front MacPherson struts, an H-shaped rear torsion beam, and ABS-controlled disc brakes all round.
The Insight is equipped with Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) as standard. The system is designed to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying braking to the right or left hand wheels as necessary and managing the engine torque systems.
Pricing, availability and warranty
The new Honda Insight goes on sale in December 2010, and will be offered at a recommended retail price of R259 900 through Honda’s national passenger car dealer network. The price includes a three-year/100 000 km warranty, and a five-year/90 000 km service plan. Scheduled services are at 15 000 km intervals with no additional service requirements for the hybrid components.
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