Autocar - First for car news and reviews

This is the first picture of the production-ready Honda Insight hybrid due to be shown at the Detroit motor show next month.

Very little has changed from the Insight Concept shown at the Paris motor show. The striking front grille of the show car has been toned down, with the distinctive LED light clusters replaced by more conventional units.

A few of the sharp creases have been ironed out too, particularly around the rear end. The Insight has also lost the concept’s slender wing ...Read the full article

"The teaser picture doesn’t show the Insight hybrid’s rear styling, but judging by the slightly less sloping roofline and shorter rear overhang, the boot will no longer feature a lower window positioned between the rear lights."

N.B.:  If you look carefully at the photo, you can see that the bar separating the main tail gate glass, from the lower window between the tail lights, is visible through the rear door quarter light glass.

Gosh, doesnt it look very similar to the Toyota Prius?

pdmc:

N.B.:  If you look carefully at the photo, you can see that the bar separating the main tail gate glass, from the lower window between the tail lights, is visible through the rear door quarter light glass.

 Just seen the high res image and unfortunatly its a sticker on the window.

 The Concept looked fantastic but Honda have unfortunatly ended up with a small Prius.  It looks like a cheap car but at £15k and smaller than a Civic I'm not sure this is going to work.  Lets hope this is a pic of a base model and that the price tag will be lower.

looks more like the past than the future.

Quattro369:

Gosh, doesnt it look very similar to the Toyota Prius?

I think Honda have acknowledged this and have stated that its all down to aerodynamic efficiency, something that is critical in this type of car.  Certainly doesn't move forward the whole styling issue though.

 

Hmm. Looks a little disappointing. Looks more frumpy than the concept. And removing the LEDs is a mistake - they're supposed to be cheaper to maintain and they last longer!! Still, adds a little tiny bit of variety to the hybrid sector.

TegTypeR:

I think Honda have acknowledged this and have stated that its all down to aerodynamic efficiency

Yep, within a very short time our cars will look even more similar due to aerodynamic constraints and crash safety. Oh well, it doesn't look that awful...

I'm not convinced its just a sticker in the window. Where have you come across the image? Please do share! The split rear window as used on the old CRX, current Civic hatch and on the previous Insight as well as the Insight concept from this year is a bit of a Honda trademark at this stage and is also the only design link between the new car and the original model. I imagine that the production model will retain it. Can you imagine the rear visibility with a bootline that high if it didn't have it? Unless you're sharing the link to the high res image, lets wait and see... shall we?

Oxo77:

 Just seen the high res image and unfortunatly its a sticker on the window.

 

pdmc:

I'm not convinced its just a sticker in the window. Where have you come across the image? Please do share! The split rear window as used on the old CRX, current Civic hatch and on the previous Insight as well as the Insight concept from this year is a bit of a Honda trademark at this stage and is also the only design link between the new car and the original model. I imagine that the production model will retain it. Can you imagine the rear visibility with a bootline that high if it didn't have it? Unless you're sharing the link to the high res image, lets wait and see... shall we?

Oxo77:

 Just seen the high res image and unfortunatly its a sticker on the window.

 Comparing the concept to this I think the 'extra' window will be there but the high res image is at www.honda-media.co.uk its on the front page as a main news article

http://www.hondauk-media.co.uk/

Olilowe:

http://www.hondauk-media.co.uk/

 

Oops, thankyou