Honda will end production of its Insight hybrid sedan this summer in preparation for the arrival of fleet of new gasoline-electric cars, including a Civic Hybrid, the automaker has confirmed.
The Insight was refreshed in 2018 but the last one will roll out of the Indiana plant in June as Honda shifts its focus towards hybrid versions of the core models in its range. The company has confirmed that it will introduce an all-new CR-V Hybrid, followed by an Accord Hybrid, later this year, and says it hopes the electrified versions of those models will account for half of the sales mix in each car.
It also confirmed that a hybrid version of the Civic will join the lineup, though declined to elaborate on a timeframe, saying only to expect it “in the future”. There was also no indication as to whether the Civic Hybrid would be a hatchback, as is the case in Europe, or a sedan. Honda’s Indiana factory makes the CR-V, Accord and Civic hatch, while the sedan version for North America is built at the Alliston, Ontario, plant in Canada.
Related: New Honda Civic Sedan e:HEV Debuts In Thailand With Hybrid Powertrain
Non-hybrid 2022 Civics currently sold in the U.S. come powered either by a 158 hp (160 PS) 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine, or a turbocharged 1.5-liter four making 180 hp (183 PS). But the Civic e:HEV hybrid recently announced for Europe and launched at the Bangkok Auto Show in Thailand, combines a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine with electric assistance to create 181 hp (184 PS) and 232 lb-ft (315 lb-ft).
“Making the volume leader of our core models hybrid-electric will dramatically boost electrified sales in the Honda lineup, a strategy that will be augmented by the arrival of a Civic Hybrid in the future,” said Mamadou Diallo, vice president of Auto Sales at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Patent drawings of the new 2023 Honda CR-V surfaced online earlier this year