FIRST DRIVE
Honda Insight - Test Drive
“Go Green!” that is the call from governments across the world, we are being fed a daily diet of 'Greenwash' and according to the car makers, hybrid vehicles seem to have the advantage in the green stakes. Just look at how well the Toyota Prius has done and what it has achieved since its launch.
So when Honda invited us to drive its green Insight, we grabbed the opportunity to see if the latest incarnation of the Insight would be a ‘Prius Beater’…
STYLING
Our test car came in an ice white colour, seeing that this is one of the most popular colours at present, Honda seems to have got that part of the design process right.
When parking the Insight beside its main rival, the Toyota Prius, the two cars are quite similar in design.
However, walk around to the rear of the car and you will see a major difference between the hybrid cars. The rear spoiler dissects the screen on the Honda Insight, it also hinders visibility somewhat when driving, while, the Toyota Prius has much better visibility as it has no spoiler obstructing the drivers view.
Neither the Honda Insight or main rival the Toyota Prius have got the looks right for the youth market, we feel both makers need to go back to the drawing board on this front.
INTERIOR
Jump into the Honda Insight and you will be surrounded by a space-age array of dials and LCD displays. It is just a pity that the plastics look to be of cheap quality. The Insight has a great deal of room and there should be enough space to accommodate four passengers plus the driver. Boot space with the rear sets in place is 408-litres and with the seats folded, this expands to 584-litres of luggage room.
PERFORMANCE
Under the bonnet the Insight has the Japanese makers latest version of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. This latest incarnation according to the maker is lighter, more compact and even more frugal and greener than previous generations.
The 1.3-litre petrol engine produces 87bhp and this is further enhanced by a 14bhp electric motor, at times this will be the only source of power that is driving the car as it can work on the electric battery when cruising at low speed or slowing down.
The Insight will get from zero to 62mph in 12.5 seconds and it has a top speed of 113mph.The car uses a regenerative braking system just like the F1 cars do at present. This can help to save on emissions but fuel economy is a two-way thing. This is why Honda has installed an Eco Assist system, this displays a graphic of plants growing on the digital display, the more plants on the display means you are driving in an eco-friendly way. However, if the plants are disappearing then you are not driving as economically as you could. The display will most certainly give you a green conscience.
So what is the latest hybrid on the car market like to drive?
Out on the open road, the Insight is easy to drive, and it behaves like a family saloon. This is no performance car and nor has the maker made any sounds that it is, it is a green car made to attract eco-friendly drivers into the makers range.
OWNERSHIP
The Honda Insight starts from £15,490 and to pay the road tax for a year – well that will only cost you £15 as it emits 101g/km of CO2 emissions. Fuel economy as you would expect is pretty good, the official figures claim that on a combined run, the Insight will return 64.2mpg.
AT A GLANCE
| Name/Price: | Honda Insight/£15,490 |
| Engine/power: | 1.3 petrol electric hybrid/ 89bhp petrol/electric 14bhp=101bhp |
| Co2 emissions: | 101g/km |
| Official Combined fuel economy: | 64.2mpg |
IMN VERDICT
Your head may be spinning with all that ‘Greenwash’ but take a step back and you will see that the Insight makes financial sense – a boon in these current times of recession. In some cases it may not be a great time to buy a car, but in other cases it is a great time to buy a Honda Insight.
Simon McBride