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American Honda Motor Co. Inc. plans to kill the Insight hybrid this year. (http://www.autonews.com)

Lindsay Chappell - Automotive News - May 17, 2006

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/06_Honda_Insight_Last_Year.jpg

The small, two-seat Insight, introduced in the United States in 1999, sold only 320 units in the first four months of this year. That compares with sales of 30,357 for the competing Toyota Prius, a family sedan embraced by environmentalists.

"Production will stop in September of this year and be discontinued," Honda Executive Vice President Richard Colliver revealed Wednesday, May 17, in a teleconference from Torrance, Calif.

Colliver said Honda is developing a new hybrid that will be smaller than the current Civic. But the new model will not appear until 2009.

Hybrids use a gasoline engine and one or more electric motors to power the wheels.

Like the Macintosh computer, the Insight had a small and devoted following that felt it was the best at what it could do. From 1999 thru 2006, it had the best fuel economy in the US and many other nations. Interestingly, those were the years Lance Armstrong had a record streak winning the Tour de France. If the Hummer emulates Arnold Schwartenegger, the Insight was built like Lance Armstrong . Both Lance and the Insight were light, proportionately very strong, sliced the air well, analyzed how to make a run thourghly, champions in what they did.

The Insight did not change much. It's partially a tribute to the cutting-edge engineering, but also a sad commentary on the lack of interest by the general public and most automakers for a gas mizer.

Insight owners have speculated on a successor with upgrades. Seems like the electric motor could be at least 20% better, the body as much as 300 pounds lighter with even less drag (or a little larger and seat four). Engines are better and the software regulating the hybrids is also better. The technology is there for a vehicle like the Insight to get an EPA 80mpg, over 100mpg hypermiling.

Honda has historically led the way with green, fuel-efficient vehicles, starting with the Civic CVCC that did not need a cataylitic converter in the 1970s. While Toyota has most of the hybrid sales, Honda has the highest fleet mpg. This is in part because management decided to go slow and green in the truck/SUV market.

Based on their history, Honda will built something better than the Insight in time.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/Sledge454/vader-nooooo.jpg

They didnt upgrade it,,, They didnt do anything with it. They put it out there and used it as the blood of the lamb.

I had a sinking feeling they where going to kill it. Im very upset with Honda on this matter. They built a great little car and didnt develope it into the car it could have been. They could have made it into a 4 door alum. wonder car and kept pushing the envolope.

BUT NO we are going to be given a crappy Fit or a HCH with a CVT.

Im so upset again with having to cancel my Insight order. Feel like crying. :(

I see Hondas over all hybrid effort taking a nose dive. I have no faith that they will do a Accord right, The HCH was a big let down for me and Fit is a over priced 4 door Festivia.

Then they choose to kill Insight. :(

Like the Macintosh computer, the Insight had a small and devoted following that felt it was the best at what it could do. .

Hey I use a MAC!...lolkevin

Speaking of Macs, have your read this long and famous joke (http://www.progsoc.uts.edu.au/lists/progsoc/1997/07%20Jul/0003.html) about Bill Gates?

I thought of a variation: Arnold Schwartenegger dies and goes to Heaven, but the car St. Peter gives him is an Insight. :p

Talk about public perception. The Prius was marketed better, and therefore, grabbed the hybrid sedan market by the gonads and yanked. And they got what they wanted. Honda, on the other hand, builds a product of extraordinary quality and incredible efficiency, yet neglects to somehow appeal to the masses.

My guess is they have an ace up their corporate sleeve. It'd be interesting to see. :)

The Prius was the first modern hybrid, introduced in Japan in 1997. The Insight was a rush job to show Honda could also do hybrids. In fact, the Insight was introduced ahead of the Prius in America. The acceleration of the Prius was beefed up before it was introduced in America.

I don't think Honda really intended the Insight to be high volumn.

I honestly think Honda is going to set into a middle of the road type design and production type tude.

I see them doing to the auto divison what they did to there motorcycles.

With there bikes, they have showed countless times that they can build the best in the world at a fair price. Use limited production to kill a certin make or model, then replace it with something understated.

I gave up on Honda motorcycles years ago because of this type of development, stratgy and production model. Honda has countless times shown there skills at engineering road racing bikes and motorcross bikes. And countless times failed in the market with cheap under engineered look alikes.

I went to Yamaha motorcycles and never looked back.

Honda auto division may well push me into the Korean camp.

I don't think Honda would want to back off lean and green products too much - that's their reputation. They would lose market share. It would be like Volvo abandoning safety.

Honda auto division may well push me into the Korean camp.

Just make sure the HP they say is really what you get! Remember they lied about that and got caught! kevin

I don't think Honda would want to back off lean and green products too much - that's their reputation. They would lose market share. It would be like Volvo abandoning safety.

Lean and Green seems to be a failure in the Fit. Dont you think. Then they droped HX.

I was following a HX Civic this morning @ 30 mph. My SG was showing 60 mpg durning this little stretch. Im sure if a SG could have read that lean burn HX it would have been in the 80 mpg range. It would be soo fine to have a HX option say in LX trim. Naw Honda cant do that. They couldnt do a lean burn r18a could they? Naw they wouldnt do that either.

Honda now offers NOTHING in there product line hybrid wise that inspires me. Just like some segments of there motorcycle line,,, plain old vanilla, boreing boring.

Are you the webmaster for www.hondasucks.ca (http://www.hondasucks.ca)? :D

Could not resist - just kidding.

Hi Chuck:

___Psy likes to complain about those Honda’s but a quick look at his sig (a 2005 and 2006 no doubt) will tell you all you need to know :D

___Psy, I know when you “Bust a FAS” as you have described in the past at 65 and hold it for over a mile and a half into a parking lot or restaurant somewhere, the smile on your face is just as large as the smile on mine doing the same. Take it easy my friend because we can only drive what is available to us no matter how much we wish we owned the 2006 4-door Civic LX or EX w/ last years 1.7 L Lean Burn HX motor w/ a stick ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

MSNBC Story (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12860428/from/RS.4/)

Toyota sold 107,897 Priuses in 2005, while Honda sold 666 (Muhahahahah!!!) Insights

The linked MSNBC article in the prior post stated that Honda was hoping for 5,000 Insights sold annually - not 500-700. Part of the reason is it's priced higher than a Civic. Of course low-volumn, aluiminum frame, cutting-edge technology will do that.

If later this year, oil went up to $100 a barrel, the gas pump prices would go to about $5 a gallon. The Insight would then be revered like the all too many artists that are overlooked in life - hailed as a genius in death.

At least the hybrid Civic is doing well - the hybrid Accord might get cut as well.

I'm certain Honda is working on a new generation of IMA hybrids. Hopefully, they will be introduced to their other best-selling models and remind the public that Honda has always championed green vehicles.

Are you the webmaster for www.hondasucks.ca (http://www.hondasucks.ca)? :D

Could not resist - just kidding.


he lives near where i live, i wonder if he would sell his insight cheap to me :D

I'm not sure you would want it after all the abuse he puts it through.