Honda Insight Hybrid Comes to Phoenix

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist^TM (IMA^TM) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC® gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon. The Insight Contacts features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist^TM), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

Additional information is available online at http://www.hondainsighthybrids.com

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight’s highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Major features standard to the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist; automatic climate control; tilt and telescope steering column; manual driver’s seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.

A more premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX adds to the Insight LX features with Vehicle Stability Assist^TM (VSA®); alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface; a center console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and much more.

The Insight introduces Eco Assist to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing the ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems: throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise control operation (EX only).

Eco Assist also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colors from green to blue to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking (green = efficient). The driver’s results are continuously tracked as fuel-economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID).

Residents can get price quotes on the Honda Insight, which is expected to start under $20,000, by visiting http://www.hondainsighthybrids.com/honda-insight-prices

About Bell Honda:

Tags: honda insight hybrid, insight hybrid, insight hybrid phoenix

This entry was posted on Friday, March 20th, 2009 at 12:00 pmand is filed under hybrids, new cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.