Featured Honda hopes all-new 2019 Insight hybrid outsells predecessor

I can't believe that Honda called this an Insight as it looks nothing like the previous generations. I said the same thing about the 2nd gen Insight because it had very little in common with the 1st gen 2 door.

I spent weeks on the Insight boards (when I was shopping for one) and owners of both gens were pretty much happy with their vehicles. So maybe that's why the name stayed the same. The exception were the owners of the '12-'13 models that experienced serious oil burning- much worse than reported here about the '10 Prius.

I hope this generation has given up on the old IMA technology. When the engine turned off at a stop light, so did the AC, which would have been rough in the Vegas summers. (Yes, I know that I could have put it in PWR mode.)

 

or ..... The Inslight or ..... Inplight. Poor Insight

.

 

The Fit EV was lease only in a handful of states, some of which had real winters. As a test, it should have given Honda some good data of EV performance. Their take away from it was that 80 miles was plenty of range for a BEV though. Which is why the Clarity BEV is just lease only in California.

IMA has been gone for a awhile. The latest Jazz hybrid that uses their dual clutch, one motor full hybrid system came out in Japan about a year after the Prius c release there. The new Insight uses the dual motor system like in the Accord hybrid and Clarity PHEV. A hybrid C-RV will likely use it too.

 

There is also an AWD system. It is essentially the one motor system with two motors for the rear wheels.

 

South Park did it in the episode called "Smug."

 

Great minds think alike.

 

Of course it is. It is really an inverted NSX setup.

 

Nope. 1st gen was still the best.

 

True, if you like the insight's plastic, & premature traction pack lost capacity rate, & subpar epa ratings compared to the Prius. Remember? GenII was supposed to be the "Prius killer" ? The original was okay, for a measly 2 seater, but suffered from Hondas notorious traction pack excess use programming. God help Honda, if rev III is worse than the original (carb states only) or GenII.
.

 

They don’t sell it, only lease.( the Clarity)

 

no, they only lease the clarity electric. The plug-in hybrid version is for sale. Some of the lease rates for the Ev version are downright inexpensive, that is, if you don't mind the very limited range of 80 some miles.
.

 

Right, electric. I thought that was understood

 

I didn't know the Jazz came in a hybrid format- I was hoping for something similar here. Do you know if it sold well? I'm satisfied with the Prius, but I would have been very interested with a Fit hybrid if it was cheaper.

 

Stop start?
.

 

" Honda Hopes"

Obviously, I like Honda.
But my concern would be how dedicated is Honda to supporting the Insight? How long would they back it, produce it, if sales are sluggish? While the previous incarnation of The Insight got it's butt kicked by Gen 3 Prius, I actually felt it was a much, much better product than it got credit for being.

Originally upon release it was doing pretty well. At that time I was looking at both Insight and Prius. I thought what hurt Honda with the Insight was "dealership greed". It was suppose to be "The Hybrid for Everyone", at the cheapest buy in price. But when I was looking, in 2010, Toyota offered the Gen 3, Prius Two at nearly the same price Honda Dealers were marking up the Insight.

At equal buy in price The Prius was easily the better choice. IMO.

When sales cooled...ice berg like...Honda stopped advertising, stopped really supporting the sales, pretty much appeared to give up the fight.

This new Insight looks great. Maybe it's the Insight that should of been 8 years ago.
But while Toyota has produced, and supported Prius for decades, has called it a hallmark vehicle, I just don't trust Honda to support The Insight with the same dedication.

But this product looks really interesting.
Just don't know if it's a little too late. Comfortable, good looking, "no compromise" Hybrids are not so rare. If Honda had released this in 2010? I think they would of had a hit. In 2018....Honda can "hope" it's successful.

I'll probably stop by my local Honda Dealership to take a look.

 

I'm still not sold on the DCT design most manufacturers are going towards lately. Jury is still seems to be out on reliability. Maintenance requirements are also higher and I'd bet a DCT hybrid can't take abuse/neglect as well as the Toyota transaxle can. Hwever, I certainly do respect Honda's engineering.

Frankly, I'm sold on the reliability of the Toyota design and will have a hard time switching to another brand until they are 'proven'....which means quite a few years.

Edit : Ok now I'm confused...I thought the Insight was going to use a DCT...but it looks like that that may not be the case?

 

The first Jazz hybrid had IMA, and was available in Japan when the Insight2, which is based on the Jazz, came out. With the "Hybrid for everyone" hype, I was expecting the Insight2 to start at $17k to $18k; a few thousand more than the Fit. When it came in at higher, I thought Honda should have just given us a Fit hybrid.

The current Jazz hybrid was selling well in Japan, might have beaten the Aqua for a month or two. It did arrive with better fuel economy rating, but then Toyota made an adjustment to the Aqua.

I think Honda dealers hurt more often than help. Then again, Honda wanted the same price for compact Civic hybrid as the midsize Prius.

To beat Toyota to market in the US, Honda rushed some things, and this is probably where the battery abuse issue arose. They didn't catch it until it was already in the Civic hybrid, and most here are familiar with that story. With their hybrid reputation ruined, the Prius c came out as direct competition to the Insight2. Even if the new hybrid systems were ready, backing off of hybrids in North America was probably the best move with their history and our gas prices.

I thought it would at first too, but it seems the one motor DCT system is for subcompacts and smaller.

All the Honda hybrids in the US are the two motor, "transmissionless" system that is in the Accord. Acuras have the DCT, three motor AWD system