2019 Honda Insight Hybrid Sedan Debuts To Battle Toyota Prius Delivering 55 MPG City
The new 2019 Insight is heavily based on the current generation Civic as you can tell from the overall body lines, greenhouse, and side mirrors. The primary changes in the design come up front and in the back. Up front, you'll find the latest incarnation of Honda's "Flying Wing" grille design, which features a chrome bar bisecting the headlights. Honda has also afixed an aluminum hood to reduce weight and has added additional sound deadening material to silence any ruckus entering the cabin.
When the Insight Concept was announced in December, Honda said that the production vehicle would deliver 50+ mpg. The company has delivered on that promise -- at least with regards to its city fuel economy, which is rated at up to 55 mpg. Powering the Insight is a two-motor hybrid system which delivers a combined 151 horsepower and 197 lb-ft of torque.
On the inside, the Insight receives a 7-inch TFT color instrument cluster display behind the steering wheel along with an 8-inch infotainment display in the dash that supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration (which is becoming a requisite feature for new cars and trucks introduced these days). And despite the fact that the Insight has lithium-ion battery pack onboard, the trunk is still capable of swallowing 15.1 cu-ft of cargo, which Honda says rivals many midsize sedans.
On the safety front, the Insight has the Honda Sensing suite, which includes Forward Collison Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assistance System, Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Traffic Sign Recognition as standard equipment. Higher trim models will also be available with LaneWatch.
"The Honda Insight shows consumers that the efficiency of a hybrid car doesn't mean sacrificing style, refinement or performance," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., SVP of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The Insight is another symbol of a new era in the evolution of Honda electrified vehicles, where customers can have everything they want with no compromises."
Although Honda hasn't yet provided pricing information, the Insight will be positioned just under the Accord Hybrid, which starts at $25,100. It's main competitor, the Toyota Prius, starts at $23,475. We expect that Honda might try to undercut the pricing of the Prius to spark sales, so we may see the vehicle priced in the $22,000 range and escalate quickly from there depending on trim level (LX, EX, Touring).
