In a bold move Honda reduced the pricing of the Insight Hybrid, the biggest rival of Toyota Prius in America, by $1,600 for 2011. The new model is now on sale with a starting price of $18,200 for the base model. Going up in the range there’s the Insight LX priced at $19,900, and the “Insight EX which costs $21,490 and $23,265 with Navigation. All models have $750 destination charge.
Standard features of the car on the base model include remote entry and has exclusive content compared to the other models consisting of unique seating fabric and a basic audio system with CD player and two speakers. The Insight LX gains features for 2011, adding cruise control, a USB audio interface, center armrest storage console and floor mats. The Insight EX adds to the LX features with steering wheel-mounted audio controls (previously exclusive to the Insight EX when equipped with navigation.
The Insight’s sophisticated hybrid system consists of a 1.3-liter i VTEC gasoline coupled to a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 40/43/41 miles per gallon.
Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side-curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver’s and front-passenger’s active head restraints; and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved occupant protection and crash compatibility between vehicles of different sizes and ride heights in frontal crashes.
