Looking Far into the Future
Initial impressions on the exterior leads one to ponder just how hard Honda tried to make the Insight look futuristic while using the current City as its platform. I particularly liked how they crafted the body into a unique aerodynamically-efficient wedge-shaped “hatchback” that sits well with the sci-fi inspired front fascia. They've even slathered generous amounts of chrome on grill and shiny blue bits everywhere they could to get the message across that this car's leaps and bounds ahead of everything else on the road.
Initial impressions on the exterior leads one to ponder just how hard Honda tried to make the Insight look futuristic while using the current City as its platform. I particularly liked how they crafted the body into a unique aerodynamically-efficient wedge-shaped “hatchback” that sits well with the sci-fi inspired front fascia. They've even slathered generous amounts of chrome on grill and shiny blue bits everywhere they could to get the message across that this car's leaps and bounds ahead of everything else on the road.
Okay, I have to admit that the styling may seem odd and tacky at first, but give it a second, third, or maybe even a fourth look, and believe me, it will grow on you. I kid you not. Driving the Insight around Manila during rush hour got me a lot of stares and a few thumbs up from fellow drivers.
Meanwhile, the interior as described is very roomy for your average-sized Pinoy, and the boot will gladly swallow two golf bags. Drop the 60/40 split-folding rear seats; you could probably fit in a closet in there. Sadly, the fit and finish of the cabin is not as futuristic as its exterior. The dashboard and plastic sidings seemed classy at first glance, but once you run your fingers through them, you’ll quickly find out its all hard plastic feel, all in the quest to save weight. The changing hues on the gauge cluster and speedometer were a joy to look at, though. And with all the necessary info laid out in a neat and easy to read manner, I found momentary solace in staring at it during rush hour traffic.
Meanwhile, the interior as described is very roomy for your average-sized Pinoy, and the boot will gladly swallow two golf bags. Drop the 60/40 split-folding rear seats; you could probably fit in a closet in there. Sadly, the fit and finish of the cabin is not as futuristic as its exterior. The dashboard and plastic sidings seemed classy at first glance, but once you run your fingers through them, you’ll quickly find out its all hard plastic feel, all in the quest to save weight. The changing hues on the gauge cluster and speedometer were a joy to look at, though. And with all the necessary info laid out in a neat and easy to read manner, I found momentary solace in staring at it during rush hour traffic.
Green Movement
The familiar 1.3L i-VTEC engine from the Jazz or City will gladly greet you when you pop the hood, but the Insight gets a CVT mated to an electric motor. Honda collectively calls this system the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA). Together, you get an Earth-shattering 98 hp and 167 Nm of torque; and yes, I’m being sarcastic. Don’t pass judgment yet, as there is something that might surprise you later on. Due to the small electric motor, the Insight can't move the car solely on electricity - unlike its top contender, the Prius - but it does have a start/stop feature to help save fuel. So what does the motor do? It gives the engine a helping hand when extra power is needed, then acts as a generator to recharge the battery when you slow down.
The onboard computer registered 13 km/L during my run through Divisoria traffic, coupled with a lot of brisk driving, with the aim of testing how fast I can drain the batteries. On the other end of the scale, a long road trip with the family up north resulted 25 km/L. You’d be hard pressed to find any car in the Philippine market today that could offer you the same gas mileage and livable space in one package. You either compromise on space or fuel mileage, as far as I’m concerned.
Measuring Up
Sitting behind the wheel of a Honda Insight is a perception-altering exercise in two aspects. First, the car educates and guides you how to drive green. You may set the on board computer to show you your running mileage and the speedometer turns green, if you are driving the car at its most efficient. And at the end of every journey, the Insight even gives you a score on how efficiently you’ve driven. By the second day, I was already on a mission to keep improving my score.
On the flip side, I always knew that green and going fast will never go hand in hand. Well, the Insight changed that perception, as it proved to be fun to drive. Forget the engine's sparse 98 hp output. Turn off the little green leaf icon on the gauge and put the CVT transmission into Sport, and you have a feisty little car in your hands.
Thanks to the electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission, the Insight feels brisk once you start mashing on the pedal. The revs are best kept between 3,500 to 5,000 rpm to maximize the electric motor’s torque. And with the CVT mimicking a close-ratio transmission, overtaking is a breeze for such a small engine.
Throwing the Insight into corners also astonished me, as the chassis cornered flat without much roll. The steering was quite communicative at the limit as far as the EPS is concerned. Learning about how well it handled in stock form, I made a bee line to my favorite performance shop and was again surprised that most of the aftermarket suspension parts for the Jazz and City will match nicely with the Insight.
Throwing the Insight into corners also astonished me, as the chassis cornered flat without much roll. The steering was quite communicative at the limit as far as the EPS is concerned. Learning about how well it handled in stock form, I made a bee line to my favorite performance shop and was again surprised that most of the aftermarket suspension parts for the Jazz and City will match nicely with the Insight.
Honda's Back
With the loss of the Civic Type R, S2000, and NSX, some enthusiasts criticized Honda for losing its sporty appeal and falling prey to the bean counters whose only goal is to maximize profits. To add fuel to the fire, a lot of its competitors have started to release their own rendition of a sports car, such as Toyota's 86.
With the Insight, I’m starting to see a glimmer of hope. I'm crossing my fingers that Honda is on the right path in opening a new segment in the motoring industry called “sporty hybrid vehicles.” I can’t wait to get into the CRZ to see what the Insight’s sporty cousin can offer.
