Honda Created The 2019 Insight To Preserve The Civic’s Sportiness

Honda used the North American International Auto Show to introduce the Insight Prototype and now the company has explained why they decided against simply making another Civic Hybrid.

Speaking to Wards Auto, Honda’s Henio Arcangeli explained “The Civic is lightweight, sporty, fun-to-drive, and if you electrify the Civic I think you kind of take a lot of the character away, so it was a smarter idea to bring back an older nameplate from before and make it kind of a whole new vehicle.”  The decision could also help to improve the model’s visibility as the previous Civic Hybrid was largely overlooked by consumers.

The 2019 Insight will go on sale later this year and feature a unique front fascia which helps to visually distance the model from the Civic.  The prototype also had more curvaceous bodywork and a distinctive rear end.

The unique styling will continue in the cabin and higher-end variants will offer perforated leather upholstery as well as a 7-inch display in the instrument cluster.  The model will also have an 8-inch Display Audio system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

Speaking of technology, the Insight will have an assortment of driver assistance features including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and road departure mitigation.  Other features include lane departure warning and a collision mitigation braking system.

Power will be provided by a two-motor hybrid system which features a 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine, an electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery pack.  Honda hasn’t released performance specifications but the company has previously said the Insight will operate primarily on electric power and deliver a combined fuel economy rating in excess of 50 mpg.

Pricing hasn’t been announced but Wards Auto reports the Insight will be positioned above the Civic so the model will likely cost more than the previous-generation Civic Hybrid. As a result, drivers can expect to spend more than $24,735.