Honda Insight
The Honda Insight is a hybrid electric car which was manufactured and marketed by Honda. Its first generation is a two-door, two-seat liftback and its second generation is a four-door, five-seat liftback. In its third generation, it became a four-door sedan. It was Honda's first model with Integrated Motor Assist system and the most fuel efficient gasoline-powered car available in the U.S. without plug-in capability for the length of its production run.
Honda introduced the second-generation Insight in Japan in February 2009 and in the United States on March 24, 2009. The Insight was the least expensive hybrid available in the US.
In December 2010, Honda introduced a less expensive base model for the 2011 model year. The Insight was launched in April 2009 in the UK as the lowest priced hybrid on the market and became the best selling hybrid for the month.
The Insight ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan for the month of April 2009, a first for a hybrid model. During its first twelve months after first available in the Japanese market, the second-generation Insight sold 143,015 units around the world. In July 2014, Honda announced the end of production of the Insight for the 2015 model, together with the Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car and the Honda Fit EV electric car.
At the 2018 North American International Auto Show, Honda announced the third-generation Honda Insight prototype, based on the tenth-generation Honda Civic sedan. Unlike the previous Insight, it was a traditional sedan, not a five-door liftback. The third-generation Insight went on sale later that year.
In April 2022, Honda announced that the Insight would be discontinued after the 2022 model year, with production ending in June. It was replaced by a new Civic Hybrid.
First generation (ZE1; 1999)
History
Based on the Honda J-VX concept car unveiled at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, the Insight was introduced in Japan in November 1999 as the first production vehicle to feature Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. In the following month, December 1999, the Insight became the first hybrid available in North America, followed seven months later by the Toyota Prius.The Insight featured optimized aerodynamics and a lightweight aluminum structure to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize emissions. Until 2015, the first generation Insight ranks as the most fuel-efficient United States Environmental Protection Agency certified gasoline-fueled vehicle, with a highway rating of and combined city/highway rating of.
Design
The Honda Insight is a subcompact 2-seater liftback in length with a wheelbase of a height of and a width of. The first-generation Insight was manufactured as a two-seater, launching in a single trim level with a manual transmission and optional air conditioning. In the second year of production two trim levels were available: manual transmission with air conditioning, and continuously variable transmission with air conditioning. The only major change during its life span was the introduction of a trunk-mounted, front-controlled, multiple-disc CD changer.In addition to its hybrid drive system, the Insight was small, light and streamlined — with a drag-coefficient of 0.25. At the time of production, it was the most aerodynamic production car to be built.
Technology
The gasoline engine is a, 1.0-liter, ECA series 3-cylinder unit providing lean burn operation with an air-to-fuel ratio that can reach 25.8 to 1. The engine uses lightweight aluminum, magnesium, and plastic to minimize weight. The electrical motor assist adds another and a maximum of 36 pound-feet of torque when called on, resulting in at 5700 rpm and of torque at 2000 rpm, with the aim to boost performance to the level of a typical 1.5 L gasoline engine. It also acts as a generator during deceleration and braking to recharge the vehicle's batteries, and as the Insight's starter motor.. When the car is not moving, for example at a stop light, the engine shuts off. Power steering is an electrically-powered hydraulic system, reducing accessory drag when steering assist is not necessary.The Insight uses the first generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology. The Insight's electric assist is an ultrathin 60 mm brushless 10-kW electric motor located on the crankshaft. Located behind the seats are a series of 120 commercial grade "D" sized 1.2 V NiMH batteries wired to provide a nominal 144 V DC and a capacity of 6.5 AH. During heavy acceleration, the NiMH batteries drive the electric motor, providing additional power; during deceleration, the motor acts as a generator and recharges the batteries using a process called regenerative braking. A computer control module regulates how much power comes from the internal combustion engine, and how much from the electric motor; in the CVT variant, it also finds the optimal gear ratio. The digital displays on the dashboard display fuel consumption instantaneously. On the manual transmission up and down arrows suggest when to shift gears. Dashboard gauges monitor the current battery status, instantaneous fuel consumption, and mode of the electric motor — standby, engine assist or charging the batteries. High pressure, low rolling resistance tires and the use of low viscosity "0W-20" synthetic oil enhance fuel economy.
The original Insight had a conventional manual transmission. Starting with the 2001 model, announced in October 2000, a CVT variant of the Insight was made available. The CVT is similar to that used in the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Logo. A traditional transmission shifts between a fixed set of engine-to-wheel ratios; however, a CVT allows for an infinite set of ratios between its lowest gear and its highest. A feature shared by the two hybrids is the ability to automatically turn off the engine when the vehicle is at a stop. Since it is more powerful than most starters of conventional cars, the Insight's electric motor can start the engine nearly instantaneously. The Integrated Motor Assist is run by an "Intelligent Power Unit ", a desktop computer-sized box. The Intelligent Power Unit, the Power control Unit, the Electronic Control Unit, the vehicle's batteries, DC-to-DC converter and a high-voltage inverter are all located under the cargo floor of the vehicle, behind the seats.
Honda increased the vehicle's fuel efficiency using aluminum and plastic extensively to reduce the vehicle's weight. The basic structure is a new, lightweight aluminum monocoque, reinforced in key areas with aluminum extrusions joined at cast aluminum lugs. Stamped aluminum panels are welded onto this structure to form an extremely light and rigid platform for the drivetrain and suspension. The Insight has a body weight less than half that of the contemporary Civic 3-door, with increased torsional rigidity by 38% and bending rigidity by 13%. Honda built the Insight with aluminum front brake calipers and rear brake drums, and with a largely aluminum suspension, in addition to standard aluminum wheels; reducing the ratio of un-sprung to sprung weight as well as the total weight. The fuel tank is plastic; the engine mounts are aluminum; and the exhaust is a small, thin wall pipe. Its compact spare tire is also aluminum. The Insight weighed in manual transmission form without air conditioning, with manual transmission and air conditioning, or with CVT and air conditioning.
The Insight has a coefficient of drag of 0.25. The absence of a rear seat allows the body to taper just behind the driver and the rear track is 110 mm narrower than the front track.
The CVT-equipped Insight is classified as a super-low emissions vehicle. The Insight features low emissions: the California Air Resources Board gave the 5-speed model a ULEV rating, and the CVT model earned a SULEV rating – the 5-speed model's lean-burn ability traded increased efficiency for slightly higher NOx emissions.
Manufacturing
The Insight was assembled at the Honda factory in Suzuka, Japan, where the Honda NSX and the Honda S2000 were also assembled. The Insight and the NSX are aluminum-bodied, while the S2000 employs a steel body with aluminum hood.At the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda introduced the concept car Honda IMAS, an extremely fuel-efficient and lightweight hybrid car made of aluminum and carbon fiber, which was perceived by most observers to be the future direction where the Insight was heading.
With its aluminum body and frame, the Insight was an expensive car to produce and was never designed for high-volume sales. Instead, it was designed to be a real world test car for hybrid technology and a gauge to new consumer driving habits. With an aerodynamic fuel-saving shape similar to its predecessor, the Honda CR-X, and some unconventional body colors it was a bit more than mainstream car buyers could handle, preferring more conservative styles. Production halted announced in May 2006, with plans announced to replace Insight with a new hybrid car, smaller than the eighth generation Civic, but not earlier than in 2009. Ahead of this announcement, Honda stopped selling Insight in the UK, for example, as early as December 2005.
To fill the market niche void, in 2002 Honda rolled out a hybrid version of the Honda Civic – Honda Civic Hybrid, followed by Toyota's redesign of the Prius in 2003 as a 2004 model.
Sales
Honda had originally planned to sell 6,500 first generation Insights each year of production, but in the end achieved total global cumulative sales of 17,020 units over 7 years, split geographically as follows:| Region | Start of Sales | Total Sales |
| Japan | Nov. 1999 | 2,340 |
| North America | Dec. 1999 | 14,288 |
| Europe | Mar. 2000 | 392 |