Renewable Gossip

By Larry E. Hall

When the current generation Honda Insight was introduced in March 2009 as a 2010 model it was hailed as a “Toyota Prius fighter.” Making the best use of the most cost-effective Honda hybrid technology, the Insight was touted as a 40-mpg-plus compact car for less than $20,000 – a figure designed to undercut the least expensive Prius by about $2,000. But Toyota countered with a lower priced Prius. With around $1,500 difference in price, combined with the Prius’s 51 mpg city and 48 highway versus the Insight’s 40 city/43 highway, the projected Insight sales of 70,000 per year didn’t happen.

Last year, to be more competitive and jump-start the sluggish sales, Honda added a new entry level Insight hybrid model to its 2011 lineup. Named simply the Honda Insight, the $18,200 price gave it a walloping $4,610 price advantage over the base Toyota Prius II. (Toyota relegated the Prius I for fleet sales only.) The result? The same as the previous year – Honda’s little hatchback hybrid never came close its yearly sales goal. In fact, since its March 2009 introduction Insight sales have tallied only 57,083 units.

For 2012 It’s Try, Try Again

Like the little hybrid that could, Honda’s 2012 carries over with updates in hopes of increasing sales. The company has given the car minor changes to the exterior styling, interior and a slight increase in fuel economy. Traditionally, these changes – what the industry calls a refresh – come after a vehicle has been on sale for three or four years, but the Insight’s situation called for faster action.

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