2012 Honda Insight Review

The 2012 Honda Insight has an aerodynamic “teardrop” shape that is designed to part the air with a minimum of turbulence. The car is wider at the front with a Kamm back (cuts off abruptly at the rear of the car to minimize drag) and a flat underbody. These Honda Insight design features contribute to the car’s low coefficient of drag (0.25 about 70% less than that of a comparably sized vehicle like the Honda Civic hatchback). All of the Insight’s major body panels are made of a lightweight aluminum alloy, and the remaining body components are made of plastic, making the Insight’s body 40% lighter than that of a Honda Civic hatchback. Lighter weight requires less power and less fuel consumption to provide responsive acceleration in traffic 32% less than that needed for a Honda Civic hatchback to operate at the same speed. Still, lighter does not mean weaker the Insight’s body has 13% greater bending rigidity and 38% more torsional rigidity than the Civic’s. A G-Force Control (GCON) safety engineering optimizes each part of the Insight’s aluminum body and frame to best absorb specific types of impact.


The Honda Insight starting in March 1999, DOE began independent testing of HEVs at Argonne National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The testing goals included determining the operating performance of the hybrid technology and collecting data to determine the overall energy management performance. Argonne researchers have focused primarily on powertrain control and energy management systems. NREL researchers have focused on battery thermal management performance.

In the fall of 2001, DOE’s Field Operations Program began conducting baseline performance, accelerated reliability, and fleet testing of currently available HEVs, including the Insight. These three types of tests, similar to those conducted on battery electric vehicles in the EV America Program, will provide performance, safety, maintenance, reliability, and cost of operation data to fleets and individuals who are considering buying an HEV. The program will test new HEV models as they become available, and all testing results will be featured on the Field Operations Program.

The Model Year 2002 Fuel Economy Guide rated the Honda Insight the most fuelefficient
vehicle available. Achieving 61 mpg in city driving and 68 mpg in highway driving, the 2002 Insight (with manual transmission) could offer drivers as much as $1,500 in annual fuel savings, compared with some of the other vehicles in its class. DOE and the U.S. Environmental.Protection Agency (EPA) work together to prepare the Fuel Economy Guide, which is available on-line at www.fueleconomy.gov and in print at new car dealerships, public libraries, and credit unions nationwide.

As the information in this brochure illustrates, the Insight and other HEVs are mechanically innovative, sophisticated vehicles. Many people might ask why they should drive these technological marvels when their current car does everything they want it to do. The two best reasons are (1) to save money and (2) to help clean the air.

Most people dislike having to pay $20 or $30 or more for a tank of gas. Yet, the United States depends on petroleum for nearly 95% of its transportation energy about 8 million barrels per day of petroleum products are used to fuel light trucks and cars. More than half of our petroleum is imported, and this percentage is growing, which is why oil imports represent one of the largest components of the U.S. trade deficit. And the demand for oil used for transportation will grow as the number of people and the number of miles they drive increase.

Growing scientific evidence suggests that greenhouse gas emissions could contribute to a change in the earth's climate and transportation, specifically the combustion of fossil fuels in our vehicles, accounts for a large portion of greenhouse gases. Moreover, EPA considers a number of other pollutants in vehicle emissions to be harmful to public health and the environment. Despite the substantial reductions in individual vehicle emissions over the last few decades, the millions of vehicles on our roads which burn thousands of gallons of petroleum every second account for a third of the country's air pollution.

2012 Honda Insight Technical Specifications

Gasoline engine: 1.0-L, 3-cylinder, SOHC 12-valve aluminum engine block with multi-point
fuel injection, 10.8:1 compression ratio, 67 hp at 5,700 rpm, 66 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. Electric motor: Permanent-magnet with peak power of 13 hp at 3,000 rpm, and 36 lb-ft of torque
8Battery: Sealed nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), 144 volts.

Transmission: Front-wheel drive, manual (5-speed) or continuously
variable transmission (CVT-automatic transmission)

Acceleration: 0–60 miles per hour in 11.3 seconds (manual transmission) or
11.2 seconds (automatic transmission)

Fuel efficiency: 61 mpg city/68 mpg highway (manual transmission)** 57 mpg city/56 mpg highway (CVT-automatic transmission)**

Emissions: Meets California Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) standards (manual transmission) or Super Ultra Low Emissions (SULEV) standards (CVT-automatic transmission).

Fuel tank: 10.6 gallons

Max. range: 646 mi (city)/720 mi (highway) (manual transmission)*** 600 mi (city)/594 mi (highway) (CVT-automatic transmission)***

Passengers: 2
Length: 155.1 in.
Width: 66.7 in.
Height: 57.6 in.
Wheelbase: 94.5 in.
Weight: 1,856 lb (manual transmission without air conditioning) 1,887 lb (manual transmission with air conditioning) 1,964 lb (CVT-automatic transmission; air conditioning standard)
Cargo: 16.3 ft 3
Braking: Power-assisted front disk/rear drum brakes with integrated regenerative system and 4-wheel ABS
Steering: Variable-assist rack and pinion
Turning circle: 31.4 ft
Suspension: Front: MacPherson strut
Rear: twist beam

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