Japan, along with the rest of the world, is currently facing a heart-breaking choice. Everyone has an opinion on which model will ultimately win the hybrid war -- the venerable Toyota Prius or the game-changing 2010 Honda Insight. What’s amazing is that it’s been a long while since a two-car battle has been so polarizing. In North America, you’d probably have to go back to the pony car era. Oh how times have changed!
For sure, the numbers game is completely out of whack. The Insight marks the first time ever a hybrid sits atop a country’s auto sales charts, in this case Japan. Honda said they received over 40,000 pre-orders… while Toyota soon responded by claiming to have 75,000 pre-orders for the Japanese market alone. Go figure!
Democratization war
With their resurrected Insight, the Reds are making hybrids accessible to the masses. Starting at $23,900, this gas-electric model is no longer exclusive to Mother Nature’s rich friends who want to make a statement or impress the neighborhood.
Clearly, Honda designers didn’t go very far to find inspiration. In fact, if the Insight and Prius were any more similar, Toyota could accuse its arch nemesis of plagiarism. It’s really easy to mistake one for the other when you look at them from a rear or side-view angle. The folks at Honda will gladly tell you it’s all in the name of aerodynamics, but I reckon it has more to do with how the general public usually perceives hybrid vehicles.
The front end is typically Honda, however, sharing a close connection with the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity. The short hood and swooping roofline are big contributors to the Insight’s remarkably-low 0.26 drag coefficient.
Granted, making hybrids accessible to the masses goes beyond looks and design. Here, the interior was directly affected by the lower pricing. Material quality feels much cheaper than the rest of the Honda lineup (at least according to my memory), with excessive hard plastics and failed attempts at imitating carbon fiber to create some form of contrast.
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| With their resurrected Insight, the Reds are making hybrids accessible to the masses. |
For sure, the numbers game is completely out of whack. The Insight marks the first time ever a hybrid sits atop a country’s auto sales charts, in this case Japan. Honda said they received over 40,000 pre-orders… while Toyota soon responded by claiming to have 75,000 pre-orders for the Japanese market alone. Go figure!
Democratization war
With their resurrected Insight, the Reds are making hybrids accessible to the masses. Starting at $23,900, this gas-electric model is no longer exclusive to Mother Nature’s rich friends who want to make a statement or impress the neighborhood.
Clearly, Honda designers didn’t go very far to find inspiration. In fact, if the Insight and Prius were any more similar, Toyota could accuse its arch nemesis of plagiarism. It’s really easy to mistake one for the other when you look at them from a rear or side-view angle. The folks at Honda will gladly tell you it’s all in the name of aerodynamics, but I reckon it has more to do with how the general public usually perceives hybrid vehicles.
The front end is typically Honda, however, sharing a close connection with the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity. The short hood and swooping roofline are big contributors to the Insight’s remarkably-low 0.26 drag coefficient.
Granted, making hybrids accessible to the masses goes beyond looks and design. Here, the interior was directly affected by the lower pricing. Material quality feels much cheaper than the rest of the Honda lineup (at least according to my memory), with excessive hard plastics and failed attempts at imitating carbon fiber to create some form of contrast.
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| Material quality feels much cheaper than the rest of the Honda lineup. |