Leaked! 2009 Honda Insight Brochure
New details on 2009 Honda Insight found!
The original mass-produced hybrid, the Honda Insight is making a hotly anticipated comeback in 2009 and will debut at the Detroit Autoshow at a press conference currently scheduled for January 11. Fans of the car that was taken off the market several years ago after the Toyota Prius became the hybrid of choice were treated to a sneak preview of the restyled hybrid sedan via a leaked brochure this week.
These spied photos are on several websites, blogs, and forums already - so it is difficult to know the original source to credit. I found a nice selection and overview on carscoop.blogspot.com. Another site that offers more pictures (some from a 2010 Prius video slideshow) and information about Insights is insightman.com
The 2009 Insight will be offered in three sporty-looking trims in Japan, the G, the L and the LS. Options will likely include a seven-inch navigational screen. However, buyer beware: the looks on this car may be deceiving. The car’s engines, while fuel-efficient, are built for commuting – not high speeds. The exact efficiency is not yet know, but drivers can expect levels comparable to the Prius – about 70 miles per gallon in real life, with EPA estimates being lower.
Once the car hits American dealerships in late 2009, buyers will be paying just under $19,000 to drive off in this hybrid, making it the most affordable mass-produced hybrid currently available. Honda is planning to sell about 200,000 Insights world-wide, with about half of them being sold in North America. Once the success of the Honda Insight is determined, the car company is planning on rolling out the rest of its hybrid line, including a CR-Z concept sports car and a Jazz hybrid model.
The exterior look of the car represents some of the biggest changes from the last Honda Insight we saw in 2006. A redesigned front, side and rear update the car and ad to the sporty look. Larger wheels round out the design.
Under the hood, the Honda Insight will be powered by the Ecological Drive Assist System, Honda’s interactive hybrid set-up that allows a driver to track fuel economy and emissions. An 88-horsepower gas engine and 14-horsepower electric engine will run the machine. Speculation is that, like the orginal Insight, the redesign will not offer a cruise control option.
For great pictures and even more details on what is to come with the new, next generation Honda Insight - stop back!
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