A hybrid vehicle from a trusted automaker like Honda, which happens to be the least-expensive gas/electric car in Canada, which consumes under 5.0 L/100 km around town and on the highway, and that can seat five people and their belongings, sounds like a very interesting proposition.
This car should sell like Twilight posters, right? Wrong.
Since its launch last year, Canadian car buyers seem to have turned their backs on the new Insight. It is not moving off dealer lots for unexplained reasons. What’s the problem?
First and foremost, at about one dollar for a litre of gas, people aren’t yet going to move out of their trucks and musclecars, and into hybrids. Right now, even the famous Toyota Prius isn’t selling well, either. Let’s be honest, fuel economy might not be everyone’s top priority right now.
We’ve got long and cold winters, too, and like conventional vehicles, hybrids aren’t as efficient in frigid weather. Their technology makes them more expensive than similar-sized and similar-equipped gasoline-only equivalents.
As for the Insight specifically, well, there are a few more reasons that could explain its lack of popularity.
Maybe it’s the styling; while the front end should cause no fuss with its modern-looking face, the car’s hunchback profile and high taillights aren’t to everyone’s tastes, including yours truly. The split rear window, something Honda seems to cajole after it was featured on the 1988-1991 CRX, reduces rearward visibility.
Maybe it’s the performance; with a combined output of 98 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque, compliments of an 8-valve, 1.3-litre 4-cylinder as well as a 13-hp electric motor that’s part of the IMA hybrid system, the Insight accelerates to 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds. That’s not terribly slow, but we’ve gotten used to quicker cars nowadays.
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| The Honda Insight currently is the least-expensive hybrid in Canada. (Photo: Philippe Champoux/Auto123.com) |
This car should sell like Twilight posters, right? Wrong.
Since its launch last year, Canadian car buyers seem to have turned their backs on the new Insight. It is not moving off dealer lots for unexplained reasons. What’s the problem?
First and foremost, at about one dollar for a litre of gas, people aren’t yet going to move out of their trucks and musclecars, and into hybrids. Right now, even the famous Toyota Prius isn’t selling well, either. Let’s be honest, fuel economy might not be everyone’s top priority right now.
We’ve got long and cold winters, too, and like conventional vehicles, hybrids aren’t as efficient in frigid weather. Their technology makes them more expensive than similar-sized and similar-equipped gasoline-only equivalents.
As for the Insight specifically, well, there are a few more reasons that could explain its lack of popularity.
Maybe it’s the styling; while the front end should cause no fuss with its modern-looking face, the car’s hunchback profile and high taillights aren’t to everyone’s tastes, including yours truly. The split rear window, something Honda seems to cajole after it was featured on the 1988-1991 CRX, reduces rearward visibility.
Maybe it’s the performance; with a combined output of 98 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque, compliments of an 8-valve, 1.3-litre 4-cylinder as well as a 13-hp electric motor that’s part of the IMA hybrid system, the Insight accelerates to 100 km/h in 10.7 seconds. That’s not terribly slow, but we’ve gotten used to quicker cars nowadays.
 |
| The Insight offers a combined output of 98 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. (Photo: Philippe Champoux/Auto123.com) |