Honda will use next month’s 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to present its 2019 Insight.
Though officially a prototype, the version we’ll be treated with shows the final design direction Honda is taking with its new Insight. Crucially, it shows that the revived hybrid nameplate is adopting its third body style in three generations.
The original Insight of the early 2000s was a 3-door hatch. The Insight morphed into a Prius-like 5-door hatch for its second generation, though the car didn’t prove popular and was dropped in 2014. It’s now taking on a somewhat stylish sedan form.
The design looks a lot like that of the 10th-generation Civic, though Honda describes the new Insight as an “upscale” 5-seater positioned above the Civic. We’ll wait until all the details are out to pass judgement but right now it looks like a Civic Hybrid by another name.
Under the hood is Honda’s 2-motor hybrid system that features in the 2018 Accord Hybrid and Clarity Hybrid and is also destined for the CR-V. No numbers have been released but Honda says the car will be “competitive” with other compact hybrids. As Green Car Reports points out, such comments put the new Insight in the same league as the Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Prius which return EPA-rated combined mileage of 58 and 56 mpg, respectively.
Production of the 2019 Insight will take place at a plant in Greensburg, Indiana, where Honda also produces the Civic and CR-V. Pricing and fuel economy numbers will be announced closer to the market launch early next year.
Stay tuned for the debut at the North American International Auto Show, which starts January 14. To learn about some of the other vehicles set to appear, head to our dedicated hub.
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