TechSpec: 2010 Honda Insight
The completely new Insight hybrid from Honda went on sale last year as a 2010 model. Though it retains the same name as the two-door subcompact hybrid Honda sold in the United States from 1999 through 2006, the new five-door compact Insight is a direct shot across the bow of Toyota’s best-selling Prius hybrid, going so far as to appear very similar to the Prius. (Interesting note: Honda sold less than 18,000 of the original Insight models worldwide, even though it was the first hybrid vehicle to be sold in North America.)
The Insight features Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system, which pairs a single overhead cam, two-valve 1.3L inline four cylinder engine with a small brushless DC electric motor inserted between the engine and the car’s continuously variable transmission, the only transmission option available. The tiny gas engine generates 98 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque on its own, while the electric motor can chip in an additional 13 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque when needed, sending that power to the car’s front wheels. The scant horsepower and torque may not sound like much, but they’re adequate to propel a car that tips the scales at a svelte 2,700 pounds, one of the main reasons the Insight returns fuel mileage figures of 40 miles per gallon in city driving and 43 mpg on the highway. 
The Insight comes withan interactive driver education system called “Eco Assist.” In its most basic mode, the car informs the driver of its fuel economy by changing the background lighting on the speedometer from green (indicating very efficient driving) to blue (indicating less efficient driving). An “Eco Guide” on the car’s multi information display (MID) tells drivers if they’re accelerating and braking too hard. Drivers are also awarded an “eco score” during each trip, and in what has to be an industry first, drivers can even progress through different levels of eco-driving “proficiency,” with the Insight handing out bigger and bigger “awards” as a driver reaches various performance parameters — which sounds like a good idea until someone watching intently to see if the little plant displayed on the MID has grown another leaf is too distracted to notice the bus full of nuns in their path and plows into them! Finally, drivers can also push the “ECON” button on the dash, which will automatically engage fuel-saving features like earlier idle-stop engagement, smoother throttle inputs (the car’s throttle is “drive by wire” with no physical connection between driver and throttle) and CVT operation, and more efficient air conditioning and cruise control modes.
The Insight is available in three trim levels: LX, EX and EX with Navigation. The LX starts at $19,800 and, in addition to all the hybrid bells and whistles, features a 160-watt stereo complete with MP3 jack. The LX rides on 15-inch steel wheels wearing wheel covers and features 175/65R15 low-rolling-resistance tires. The EX starts at $21,300 and features heated mirrors, cruise control, paddle shifters and Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control. The EX rides on the same size tires as the LX, but features up-scale 15-inch alloy wheels. Finally, the EX with Navigation comes with, as its name implies, Honda’s satellite-linked navigation system, as well as a Bluetooth cell phone interface, all for the bargain price of $23,100. A driver interested in loading up with accessories like front underbody spoiler ($345), rear underbody spoiler (also $345) and fog lights ($439), to name just a few, can easily push the Insight EX+Nav’s sticker to more than $25,000.
Servicing the Insight
Like most Honda vehicles, the Insight is equipped with Honda’s Maintenance Minder system, which displays engine oil life and maintenance service items on the information display or MID, depending on model, to show drivers when they need to have service performed. Engine oil life is displayed in 10 percent increments down to 20 percent, whereupon it scales down in 5 percent increments.
To see the vehicle’s current engine oil life, turn the ignition switch to the ON position and press the select/reset knob on the steering wheel repeatedly until the oil life display appears in the MID. When the engine oil life remaining dips below 15 percent, the maintenance minder indicator (a wrench icon) and the message “SERVICE DUE SOON” will come on every time the vehicle is turned on; also displayed will be the engine oil life remaining and the maintenance item code(s) for other scheduled maintenance items needing service. (These codes indicate any other maintenance needs the vehicle may have.)
When the engine oil life remaining dips below 6 percent, drivers will see a “SERVICE DUE NOW” message, along with the service maintenance item codes. The message can be extinguished by switching the information display.
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