Jan. 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.
# # # For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the
Insight Concept and other Honda vehicles, including the Civic Hybrid,
please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at
www.honda.com.
