Shades of Honda Civic: Honda embarks on mission of mainstream electrification with 2019 Insight

Electric is nothing new to Honda Motor Company. The first production hybrid car available to North America wore the Honda brand back in 1999. At that time, the near micro-sized Insight gasoline /electric hybrid was like nothing else on the road -- quirky, cool looking, and astoundingly fuel efficient. Honda came a bit early to the party with Insight, and was eventually overtaken by Toyota Prius, a larger, more powerful hatchback, that soon become the sales leader in the compact hybrid car segment.

Nonetheless, despite relatively low sales volume, the manufactured in Japan Insight remained on market until 2nd generation production ended for North America in July 2014.

2019 Honda Insight takes electrification mainstream to the Honda Loyal and beyond

As reported by Honda-Torque News back in December, 2019 Honda Insight will capitalize on the European inspired look of Honda Accord and Civic. Although Honda has teased a propulsion factoid or two about its latest and greatest Insight advent, we can only assume that Insight will share drive technology with the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid. Honda tells Torque News that Insight will sit just above Honda Civic in size and sophistication. For those that demand near full size electrification, look no further than Honda Clarity.

I’ll go out on a limb here and make the assumption that 2019 Insight, unlike the 2nd generation Insight we drove in 2014, will present a balanced dance between class leading fuel efficiency, combined torque, and (possibly) extended electric-only driving range. After driving Hyundai Ionic in 2017, Honda Insight must come to market with a beginning MSRP bellow $30,000. We’ll see how that goes.