Honda's hybrid car shows the way ahead for fuel-efficiency (From Advertiser Series)

Honda's hybrid car shows the way ahead for fuel-efficiency

5:59pm Wednesday 13th January 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share

On the face of it, the Honda Insight is nothing to write home about.

It’s a rather conventional five-door saloon-style hatchback; Mondeo in size, with a huge boot and slightly dated style.

But don’t be fooled. This is a super-hero car which could save the planet as it offers the best way forward for fuel-efficiency.

Forget about electric cars. This is a hybrid. In essence, it’s a petrol-powered car which has a built-in electric motor.

It sounds simple, but it can offer more than 64mpg on a run – phenomenal when you compare it with similar-sized cars.

More than that, it’s relatively affordable. At less than £16,000, it’s a viable option for people who might otherwise choose a Mondeo or a VW Passat. Toyota’s hybrid Prius costs more than £21,000, so you can see why Honda has big hopes for Insight.

It does have shortcomings. Rear vision through the curved tailgate is awkward, and acceleration can be slow if you don’t plan ahead. The steering is on the light side, too.

Having said that, the new Insight is a proper five-seater. The original version was hampered by the fact that the rear seats were replaced by huge batteries.

This Insight is a more mainstream proposition. If your goal is to convince people to buy into the whole hybrid deal, producing a car with broad appeal built-in is always going to be a good start.

Being a hybrid, it’s hardly surprising that the Insight retains some of the space age styling of its older relation.The car’s slippery, streamlined profile certainly fits well with Honda’s desire to promote an efficient, futuristic ownership experience.

Following the trend set by the original two-door car plus a couple of Civics in recent years, this Insight is what’s called a mild hybrid. In simple terms, the car is powered by the petrol engine, with the electric motor providing assistance when necessary.

While this might sound like a compromise, in reality the decision makes the car more of a practical proposition. To make a car run on battery alone you need big batteries.

The downside is increased weight, reduced load and, potentially, cabin space. The Insight’s smaller battery pack and associated electronics allows for a good boot and family hatch levels of space. And this is why Honda is hoping these improvements will broaden the car’s appeal.

The good news for buyers is that the Insight behaves in a thoroughly conventional way. For urban driving duties, it is probably one of the better options – propulsion method aside – thanks to a continuously variable transmission. Modern CVT gearboxes are great, labour-saving devices and the Insight’s CVT allows you to stick it in Drive and forget about it.

Ease of use is a big feature of the Insight, with the car proving to be a doddle to drive around town. A good driving position, good visibility, plus light and accurate controls, make driving around town refreshingly pleasant. The supple ride is the icing on the cake, and does a good job of soaking up the urban potholes.

OK, so the Insight isn’t really a conventional car. The driver is faced with a multicoloured display, with a variety of icons and electronic helpers, geared towards encouraging you to drive frugally. And despite the slightly cartoonish approach, the aids do make a difference.

Around town, you soon get sucked into a more economical way of driving. Accelerating and braking gently, anticipating the road ahead and allowing the car to glide on, assisted by the electric motor, become second nature in no time at all. And it’s not long before you adapt to the car’s stop-start function. Simply pull up to a stop and the engine will shut down, saving valuable fuel. Make a move to the accelerator pedal and it fires back into life.

With the combination of a small but eager 1.3-litre, 88bhp petrol engine and an electric motor offering instant thrust from rest, you’d be right to expect a big number for the fuel economy. And 64.2mpg is a big number – this is for a mix of driving environments and goes some way to proving the worth of the stop-start system around town.

The other magic figure is 101g/km CO2. It’s not the double digit figure some were expecting or achieving with some ultra-clean diesels. But 101g/km is still pretty impressive and the trade-off is improved refinement.

At the best of times, the Insight delivers a hushed experience, while the stop-start function only serves to highlight how noisy diesels can be when sat next to one at traffic lights.

The technology driving the Insight is very clever but you don’t really need to know how it works. It’s fast enough for regular duties – 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds, 113mph top speed – with great economy numbers.

It’s also practical, which should make it attractive to families as well as the eco-warrior fan base. That alone is a considerable step forward. If such cars are to be more widely adopted, any hint of compromise is a guaranteed deal-breaker. And that’s unlikely to be an issue with Honda’s Insight.

Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE Hybrid five door: PRICE: from £15,490 on the road.

ENGINE: 1.3-litre petrol unit developing 88bhp, plus an electric motor.

TRANSMISSION: Variable speed CVT auto transmission as standard, driving the front wheels.

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed 113mph, 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds.

ECONOMY: 64.2mpg.

CO2 RATING: 101g/km.

WARRANTY: Three years/90,000 miles.

• Print
• Email
• Share