Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
- The Honda Insight is all-new for the 2019 model year.
- The Insight is Honda’s answer to the market-leading Toyota Prius hybrid.
- The 2019 Honda Insight is powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC inline-four-cylinder engine mated to a hybrid drive system that produces a total of 151.5 horsepower.
- The base 2019 Insight LX starts at $22,930 while the mid-grade Insight EX starts at $24,160. Our top-spec Touring trim test car started at $28,190. After a $920 destination fee, our as-tested price came to $29,110.
The Toyota Prius has long been the king of fuel-sipping hybrids. According to sales data compiled by Kelly Blue Book, Toyota sold nearly 88,000 Prii in the US during 2018. That accounted for nearly 51% of all hybrid/alternative energy cars sold last year.
Which means everyone else shared the rest of the pie.
One of those brands is Honda. And for the past two decades, Toyota’s arch-rival has fought to supplant the Prius from its throne with limited success.
Honda’s latest effort is the new Insight hybrid. The third generation Insight is all-new for the 2019 model year.
In December, Business Insider senior transportation correspondent and long-time Prius owner Matt DeBord praised the Insight for its crisp handling, advanced powertrain, and "mid-premium" cabin.
"I’m a Prius patriot, but there’s no question that the 2019 Honda Insight is a better car," DeBord said in his review.
Recently, we got the chance to spend some more time with the new Insight to check out its coolest features. This time, it was a 2019 Honda Insight Touring clad in a subdued Cosmic Blue Metallic paint job.
The base 2019 Insight LX starts at $22,930 while the mid-grade Insight EX starts at $24,160. Our top-spec Touring time test car started at $28,190. After a $920 destination fee, our as-tested price came to $29,110.
Here’s a closer look at the 2019 Honda Insight’s coolest features:
1. Styling: the new Insight is a good looking car. Unlike the angular Prius, the Insight doesn’t look like a road-going space ship.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
In fact, its restrained and somewhat stylish exterior blends in well with the current generation Accord and Civic.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
2. Hybrid power: the Insight is powered by a 107 horsepower 1.5-liter, naturally-aspirated i-VTEC inline-four-cylinder engine paired with a 129 horsepower AC synchronous permanent magnet electric motor drawing power from a 60-cell lithium-ion battery pack. Together, they produce 151.5 total system horsepower.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The hybrid drive system is hooked up to a continuously variable transmission. Power delivery is strong for a hybrid of its type. While the Insight is hardly a performance vehicle, the drivetrain rarely felt overmatched. The Insight felt smooth and refined in most driving conditions. Only during aggressive high-speed acceleration in Sport mode did it feel less than composed.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider