Honda Insight Debut at NAIAS 2009

Honda's all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid steals a bit of the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show. The new Insight, revealed in Detroit earlier today, gets 40 mpg city and 43 mpg highway.

Based on the Honda FCX Clarity concept, the five-door sedan is meant to evoke an "advanced and aerodynamic" shape. It utilizes Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system to switch between battery power and a 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum alloy i-VTEC petrol engine. Kinetic energy is captured from braking and deceleration, and stored in the compact battery under the rear floor. The battery can be used to exclusively power the car in low and mid speeds. The two systems combine for a 400 mile range.

Features include an ECON mode activated by the driver. When turned on, settings for the automatic CVT, engine, and powertrain are all tweeked to be more fuel efficient. Also, feedback is constantly fed to the driver through a speedo display, letting the driver know what he can do to increase fuel economy. These are all part of the Ecological Drive Assist System, or "Eco Assist."

Safety measures for the five passegers include six airbags, ABS with electronic brake distribution, and front head restraints. Crash protection is improved by the Advanced Compatibility Engineering system (ACETM), where the body moulds to the shape of a striking vehicle. Folding rear seats, climate control, and an MP3/CD audio set-up are also included.

The EX trim line comes with alloys, cruise control, a premium stereo system with a USB input, paddle shifters, and Sat-Nav.

The 2010 Honda Insight goes on sale in the U.S. starting April 2009. Exact pricing has not been announced, but base price will be below the $23,650 Honda Civic Hybrid.

Press Release

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^TM (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^TM). 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^TM (ACE^TM) 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^TM (VSA®) and an available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System^TM 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.