DETROIT – The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid car recently made its world debut at the North American International Auto Show. Utilizing the latest generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist IMA hybrid technology and new, more cost-efficient production methods, the 2010 Insight provides hybrid customers with a new level of affordability, improved 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 priced below the Civic Hybrid.
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.
The Insight will also feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology, Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist), which 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.
Driver feedback function that uses a speedometer display with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency.
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.
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.
