September 13, 2018
The Honda Insight is a comfortable, well-equipped sedan, one that offers buyers some solid fuel efficiency. Honda’s 2019 Insight is quiet and easy on the eyes. The car company loosely based the sedan on the Civic. However, the mid-size car is more graceful inside and out. The vehicle has soft contouring with front and rear styling that blend seamlessly together. Its styling is as fine as that of the Accord, so it could give the bigger sedan a run for its money.
The Insight is seriously efficient, getting up to 55 miles to the gallon on the highway and 49 miles per gallon around town. Honda modified the hybrid system that it’s been putting in the Accord Hybrid, which is a 2.0-liter engine. For the Insight, Honda is offering buyers a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that generates 107 horsepower and 99 pound-feet of torque. It also comes with a commendable 40.5 percent thermal efficiency.
This is Honda’s third-generation hybrid system. With the third-generation system, the battery uses less capacity at 1.1 kWh compared to 1.3. Honda decided to save space and weight by using something different than a conventional transmission. Instead of a transmission, the car company made the motor so that it was geared to the drive wheels directly.
Inside the cabin is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, one that’s compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Honda included a rotary volume knob on the Insight’s infotainment system, bringing an appreciated old school feature back to the car. However, other controls and adjustments are scattered across several screens. The instrument cluster is digitalized, and the car comes with an updated electronic shifter. Other modern amenities include the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, perforated leather seats and active-noise cancellation.
When it comes to safety, Honda tossed everything it had at the Insight. The sedan comes with a forward-collision warning system, lane-departure warning system and lane-keeping assist, in addition to automatic braking. It also features comprehensive safeguards that prevent the car from rolling away if a driver should forget to put the vehicle in park or if they open the door when the Insight is in gear.
In the area of driveability, the Insight performs well. Drivers will notice plenty of zip from the electric drive system. It has sensitive handling and car buyers will appreciate its smooth ride.
The 2019 Honda Insight is a fuel-efficient sedan that features memorable exterior styling and plenty of interior comforts. It has the kind of safety equipment that car buyers have come to expect from today’s automakers. The Insight is a car that checks all of the boxes.