The Honda Insight The nameplate was revived for a fourth generation and applied to an electric vehicle (EV) for the first time.
The reborn Insight, unveiled for Japan, where it will go on sale by the end of May, appears to be based heavily on the e:NS2 that Honda developed for the Chinese market.
It’s marketed as a crossover SUV, but as the lines between cars and SUVs continue to blur, it looks more like a high-riding hatchback.
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“There are currently no plans to bring the Insight to Australia,” a Honda Australia spokesperson said.
Dimensions haven’t been released yet, but we don’t expect any major changes to the e:NS2, which measures 4788mm long, 1838mm wide and 1570mm high on a 2735mm wheelbase. This makes it only 5 mm shorter than a Tesla Model Y, although with a wheelbase that is 155 mm shorter; It is also 144mm narrower and 54mm lower.
Honda in Japan has barely released any specifications apart from confirming that the vehicle has an electric range of over 500km on the WLTC cycle.
The e:NS2 features a CATL 68.8kWh ternary lithium-ion battery that powers a single, front-mounted 150kW/310Nm electric motor.
It uses the e:N architecture F, which is shared with other Honda electric vehicles in the Chinese market.
Inside, the Insight is available in a choice of black or white and features a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 9.4-inch digital instrument cluster.
Available features include a head-up display, leather upholstery, a heated leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, ambient lighting, a digital rearview mirror, a 12-speaker Bose sound system and a hands-free power liftgate.
There are also eight-way power driver and four-way power passenger seats with heating and ventilation, as well as a full suite of active safety and driver assistance technology.
The Insight also features Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, allowing you to power small electrical devices.
Honda also boasts that it will be its first vehicle in the Japanese market to feature an aroma diffuser with a choice of six scents. A smart heating system also automatically detects whether there are rear seat occupants and features an Auto mode designed to optimize air conditioning performance and power consumption.
The new Insight will sit at the top of Honda’s EV lineup in Japan, which also includes the tiny N-Van e, N-One e and Super-One Hatch. The latter has been confirmed for release in Australia this year.
The e:NS2 on which it is based is one of a range of electric vehicles developed for the Chinese market, which also includes the similarly sized P7 and S7, which entered production last year – just a year after the e:NS2 and its e:NP2 twin.
Honda is currently exporting the e:NS1 and e:NP1 twins – which closely resemble the HR-V sold here – from China to markets such as Europe and New Zealand.
The new Insight marks the fourth use of the name, which was introduced on Honda’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle in 1999.
This quirky two-door coupe was produced until 2006 before being discontinued. The Insight nameplate was removed in 2009 for a five-door hybrid hatchback that was similar in style to the Toyota Prius before being phased out in 2014.
After another gap, the name was revived in 2018 for a four-door hybrid sedan based on the Civic, developed primarily for Japan and North America. This was the only generation of Insight not sold here and production ended in 2022.
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