Honda Motor Co. has released the first official photo of its new 2009 Insight hybrid. This is the car that will take Toyota’s much vaunted Prius head-on. Both share the same universally aerodynamic silhouette and form a profile that could almost fit inside each other’s lines.
This is actually the second generation of Insight hybrids, with the first model being a small, two-door hatchback. The new model is a four-door hatch, but still very much a compact car. Apparently it seems like car companies are slowly steering us into believing that this is the shape of the cars of the future.
Honda claims that, at first, the new Insight will get roughly the same mileage as a Civic hybrid, about 40mpg in the city and 45mpg on the highway. The company is planning on selling 200,000 units a year, and with a beginning price of less than $19,000, it will surely attract all the young hipsters who feel they can save the planet by driving one of these "green machines". Insight sales will begin on Earth Day (Now that is marketing!) in April 2009.
Source: Car and Driver
Photo: Honda Motor Co.
