Europeans Get Fresh Insight Into Honda Insight

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Carscoop! is breaking European brochure pics of the 2009 Insight, Honda’s rival to the Toyota Prius, the gas – electric hyrbid that’s gone from hero to zero [percent financing] in less than six months. Coincidentally enough (if only just), the Priusalike makes its appearance a few days before the denuded Detroit Auto Show (“ Now with 100 percent less Nissan“). That’s where the 2010 Prius also makes its debut. Unfortunately, we only get the pics from Honda brochure; the text would have provided welcome insight into the Insight’s marketing angle. Will HoMoCo promote the Insight on price or performance? The green hot rod angle is not entirely inconceivable; the now extinct Accord hybrid was the fastest of its breed. Carscoop! has three pictures of the Insight’s speedo; at 20, 24 and 42mph. So, no, then.





Robert Farago
Robert Farago

More by Robert Farago

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 11 comments
  • Rev Junkie Rev Junkie on Jan 06, 2009

    They should have added some cues from the svelte FCX Clarity, instead of using tracing paper over a Prius and adding some horizontal headlamps and a different grille. The Prius is much more handsome now that it ditched the dopey vertical headlamps that gave it a sort of smiley face when combined with the slit of an eggcrate grille it had. And the new Prius has a cool looking cockpit that clearly divides the passenger and driver's sides. The original Insight was so mind blowingly different to all other cars that this Prius wannabe shouldn't carry the Insight moniker. Seeing how it copies the previous-gen Prius, it should logically be called the Hindsight.

  • Landcrusher Landcrusher on Jan 06, 2009

    Ya, what happened to the Clarity? This thing really is a prius clone.

  • Rna65689660 There are colors you lease, and colors you buy. Never buy any shade of silver, grey due to the fact it matches the road surface. White only looks good on some cars, but great on appliances.Currently on British Racing Green,MINIWife is on Red, Edge. Going to Hot Pepper Red, Bronco Sport in a few weeks.
  • MKizzy I was only into black cars and am on my third black sedan in a row after starting my car ownership life with an inherited blue vehicle. I am starting to change my mindset and will (probably) find another color for my next vehicle. I still love black, but in the 2020s, black vehicles are lost in a grayscale sea piloted by time and financially stressed owners prioritizing resale value and low maintenance over appearance.
  • Cla65691460 will you look at that!...no "fix it again tony" jokes from the "best and brightest"
  • Mike-NB2 When I ordered my Golf R a while back, I broke with my decades-long tradition of a black car, not because I wanted to branch out a bit, but because there is a certain blue hue that's associated with the R. That blue (Lapiz Blue) is through the exterior trim and interior of the car even if you go with black or white. It's the colour for the R. That's why I chose it. And I'm glad I did.On a related note, I was coming back from a meeting today (in a rental, not my car, so couldn't flag the guy down without looking odd) and came up on a Mk 7 Golf R that was driving rather slowly in the right lane of the highway. It appeared to be black, but as I got beside it, I noticed that it was one of the dark purple hues on the Spektrum palette that was available on the Mk 7. For those who don't remember it, there were standard colours and then there were 40 additional colours for $3500 more. Oddly, the driver was in his 70s, so whether it was his car or not, I don't know. No, that's no slight against an older person driving a performance car. I'll be 58 in a couple of months, so I'm not going to criticize him.
  • MrIcky My car is header orange - so basically a safety cone. My trucks have always been white because scratches don't show up as much.
Next