With the 2019 Insight, Honda is hoping that the third time’s the charm for this nameplate, which promises the future but hasn’t always been in tune with it. Nearly 20 years after the introduction of the original high-mpg featherweight Honda Insight—the first hybrid sold in the United States—hybrids comprise roughly 2 percent of the new-passenger-vehicle market, yet they didn’t account for much more than 1 percent of Honda’s U.S. sales last year.
The Insight is one of several vehicles on the way from Honda that aim to bring more eco-conscious shoppers back to the brand. This Insight employs a version of Honda’s latest two-motor hybrid (Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive, or i-MMD) system, functioning much as it does in the Accord hybrid and the Clarity plug-in hybrid. It earns what Honda anticipates will be EPA estimates of up to 55 mpg city and 50 mpg combined once those ratings are finalized. The numbers Honda is touting for this new Insight would rank it behind its more successful archrival, the Toyota Prius, as well as the newest mileage champ, the Hyundai Ioniq.
More info : Car&Driver
