2010 Honda Insight LX
Honda appears finally to have learned how to play in the hybrid game. Simply putting a hybrid powertrain in a regular car doesn't cut it. If a carmaker wants to be taken seriously, it had better deliver a hybrid that looks like what the market has said it wants a hybrid to look like. And that, apparently, given the sales numbers, is a Toyota Prius. Hence, the all-new, Honda Insight is virtually a carbon copy of that market leader.
Beyond that obvious surrender to a take-no-big-chances market, however, the 2010 Honda Insight does manage to march to a slightly different drummer. It's smaller than the Prius, for instance, which isn't necessarily a plus, as interior room suffers. But it's lighter, which is a plus, as less weight contributes to it's being a somewhat livelier driver.
Beyond this, it generally stays the course, with the common array of standard features plus an optional navigation system and Bluetooth capability. It also can be ordered with gimmicky paddle shifters that imposes an artificial construct of seven electronically created ratios on the continuously variable automatic transmission.
When the new Honda Insight is measured against the outgoing-generation 2009 Toyota Prius, it definitely hums a different tune. Put simply, the Insight's EPA-rated City/Highway 40/43 miles per gallon trails significantly the 48/45 mpg rating for the Prius. Honda appears to believe its faithful will willingly trade a few miles per gallon for a modestly quicker car.
Perhaps the most significant change Honda brings to the hybrid market is price competition. With the Insight, shoppers now have two similar cars from which to choose. The 2010 Honda Insight's $19,800 Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price just slightly undercuts the $21,000 MSRP of the all-new 2010 Toyota Prius. The first-generation 2009 Prius retailed for $23,375.
The 2010 Insight comes in one configuration: a four-door, five-passenger sedan. One powertrain is available: a combination of a 1.3-liter, 88-horsepower, inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt, 13-hp, brushless, DC motor. Power goes only to the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). In the top two of the three models offered, steering wheel-mounted shift paddles manage a computer-generated seven-speed, simulated-manual gearbox. The base model uses a standard CVT that's efficient and highly competent.
STANDARD FEATURES
Anti-Theft & Locks
o Power Decklid Lock/Unlock Via Multi-Function Remote
o Child Safety Door Locks Located On Rear Doors
o Vehicle Anti-Theft Via Alarm and Engine Immobilizer
o Selective Unlocking
o Power Door Locks Operated Via Remote and Internal Switch
Braking & Traction
o Electronic Brake Force Distribution
o Regenerative Braking System
o Front Power 262-mm Ventilated Disc and Rear Power 201-mm Drum Brakes
o 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
Electrical
o Drive-By-Wire(TM) Drive-By-Wire Control For Throttle
o Battery
o Front Power Outlet
o 100.8-Volt, 5.75-Amps/Hour Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery
Engines & Emissions
o Idle-Stop Feature
o 100,000 Mile Extended Service Interval For Tune-Up
o ULEV Emissions
o Hybrid 1.3-Liter i-VTEC(R), I4, 8-Valve, SOHC, MPFI Engine; Front Mounted With Hybrid System Net Horsepower Of 98@5800, Torque Of 123@1000, Alloy Block and Alloy Cylinder Head; IMA(TM) Integrated Motor Assist, Permanent Magnet Electric Motor With Horsepower Of 13@1500 and Torque Of 58@1000
Entertainment, Communication & Navigation
o AM/FM Radio With 160-Watts, Speed Sensitive Volume and 4 Speakers Total; CD Player; MP3/WMA Player
o Radio Antenna
o Radio Data System
o Front Auxiliary Audio Input Jack
Exterior Lighting
o Projector Beam Halogen Headlights
Exterior, Design, Paint & Finish
o Metallic Paint (If Selected)
o Front and Rear Body Color Impact-Absorbing Bumpers
o Front Air Dam
o Rear Spoiler
Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning
o Interior Particle and Dust Air Filter
o Automatic Climate Control
Instrumentation
o Battery Gauge
o Audible Warnings Include Seatbelts Unfastened
o Eco Assist(TM) System
o Maintenance Minder(TM) System Maintenance Interval Indicator For Oil Quality and Oil Level and Tires
o Steering Wheel Mounted Controls For Trip Computer
o Exterior Temperature Gauge
o CD Text Display Capability
o Tachometer
o Trip Computer With Average Fuel Consumption, Instantaneous Fuel Consumption, Miles To Empty, Stop Watch and Trip Odometer
o Warning Lights Include Brake System, Door Ajar, Trunk Open, Low Coolant, Low Fuel, Oil Pressure and Seatbelt Unfastened
o Tire Pressure Monitor
Interior Lighting
o Interior Load Area Light
o Driver Illuminated Power Window Switch
Interior, Design, Decor & Floor Covering
o Carpet Located In Passenger Cabin and Trunk
Remote Controls & Remote Releases
o Multi-Function Remote Operates Anti-Theft, Door Lock/Unlock and Trunk
o Keyless Entry Operated Via Key Fob
Safety
o Front Pretensioners
o Front Seatbelt Height Adjusters
o L A T C H
o Side Curtain Airbags Located In Headliner
o Side Guard Door Beams
o Front and Rear 3-Point Seatbelts
o Front Active Head Restraints
o Driver Airbag With Dual Threshold and Dual Stage Deployment
o Front and Rear Automatic Locking Retractors
o Advanced Compatibility Engineering (Ace(TM)) Body Structure
o Seat Mounted Front Side Airbags
o Rear 3-Point Center Seatbelt
o Passenger Airbag With Dual Threshold and Dual Stage Deployment
o Crumple Zones
o Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) Passenger Airbag Cutoff Sensor Activated By Seatbelt Engagement and Weight
Seats
o Cloth Seats
o Front Dual Reclining Bucket Seats, Driver Side Manually Adjusts 6 Ways Total, Passenger Side Manually Adjusts 4 Ways Total With Driver Adjustable Seat Height and Adjustable Headrests
o Rear 60/40 Split Folding Bench Seat With Adjustable Headrests
Steering
o Power Rack and Pinion Variable Assisted Steering
o Telescopic Steering Column
o Tilt Steering Column
Storage
o Front Covered Lower Console Storage Located On Dash
o 4 Front and 4 Rear; 8 Cupholders Total
o Glovebox
o Front Dual Door Mounted Storage
o Front Open Lower Console Storage Located On Dash
Suspension
o Independent MacPherson Strut Front Suspension With Coil Springs and Shock Absorbers
o 16-mm Rear Stabilizer Bar
o 18-mm Front Stabilizer Bar
o Semi-Independent Torsion Beam Rear Suspension With Coil Springs and Shock Absorbers
Transmission
o Continuously Variable Electronically Controlled Automatic Transmission With Overdrive
Wheels & Tires
o SBRP175/65R15 84S, All-Season Tires
o Steel Wheels, 15-In.
o Compact Spare Tire
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
o Rear Window Defroster
o Power Windows With Driver One-Touch Up and One-Touch Down
o Rear Window Wiper/Washer
o Intermittent Windshield Wipers
o Tinted Windows
o Front Dual Sunvisors
o Power Window Lockout
o Dual Body Color Folding Power Adjustable Exterior Rearview Mirrors
