The 1st and 2nd generations of the Insight were the cheapest hybrids available for sale. Unfortunately Honda discontinued the car back in 2014 and replaced it with a regular gas-powered Civic. While not official, it looks like there might be another model on its way. The upcoming 2019 Honda Insight has been spied testing on US roads and the car seems quite interesting. For starters, the test mule was based on the City sedan, a small family car which is quite a bit smaller than the Civic. This likely means the car will share at least a few parts with the City.
Despite that, the test mule had a longer wheelbase as well as a wider track than the regular City. In order to hide that, Honda actually used extensions in the front as well as in the back. Up to this point there hasn’t been much available information about the production model. Even so, it is safe to assume the car is going to be quite a bit smaller than the Civic but slightly larger than the International City. This means that it should easily accommodate up to 5 people while also providing a good amount of space inside the trunk. The platform hasn’t been confirmed just yet but the car may use parts from Honda’s new modular architecture as well as from the new City.
Source: autoevolution.com
2019 Honda Insight Price & Release date
As you can see in the photos, the insides of Insight are packed inside of Honda City body. This is a clear sign that the third generation of this hybrid is not close to its release. It will be few months until the powertrain and the rest of the Insight are repacked into its new body. In consensus with this 2019 Honda Insight release date will be closer to the end of 2018 rather than in the next few months. Actually, there is even a possibility that it will debut at the start of 2019 because you never know when hybrids are in question.
The 2019 Honda Insight price will probably stay close to what we have today. The cost of the ongoing Insight is close to $19,000 for the entry level. Depending on the trim of your choice the price differs. The mid-level LX trim starts at $20,300 while the top tier EX-goes for $22,000. Pack it with all of the available equipment, and you can find yourself paying mid-$20,000 prices for the Insight hybrid.
Source: autoevolution.com
The design – Exterior features
Both the first and second generations of the Insight used a shooting-brake design which was quite popular at the time. This not only gave the car a really low drag coefficient but also maximized trunk space. Most rumors suggest the upcoming 2019 Honda Insight will closely follow this type of design and even though it hasn’t been confirmed just yet, this is quite obvious from the prototype.
The car was quite wide and it had a rather long wheelbase which was also the case with the 2nd generation of it. On top of that, the rather tall body means that it will definitely not be a sedan like most of the rumors suggested. The look of the car is also going to be quite special. While the original was quite dull, this is not going to be the case with the upcoming model. It seems that most rumors point out at a really similar design to that found on the new Accord.
Inside the cabin – Interior
It is safe to assume the 2019 Honda Insight is going to share quite a few parts inside the cabin with the new Civic. Expect the two cars to share roughly the same dashboard, infotainment system and even a really similar instrument cluster. Thanks to its bulkier body, the Insight is likely going to offer more headroom and legroom for all passengers. The car should also be able to provide more trunk space which is vital in a hybrid which usually has a smaller than average trunk.
2017 Honda Civic Interior – Source: netcarshow.com
Under the hood – 2019 Insight Specs
As before, the 2019 Insight is definitely going to be a hybrid. The specifics about this model are still under wraps but it is expected to be one of the most efficient cars at its price point. Some suggested the car will make use of Honda’s new 1.3 liter naturally aspirated Earth Dreams gasoline engine. This would be mated to a small generator as well as to a rather powerful electric motor. The total output for this system will likely be right around 100 to 110 horsepower and little over 140 lb-ft of torque. While it may not seem that impressive, this should be enough to make the car fast enough for a daily commuter. Its biggest feature will be its fuel consumption which is expected to be well over 50 MPG on average which would be highly impressive for such an entry level car.
