Apr 18, 2019, 10:01 AM by Mike Blake

Discontinued twice since its initial launch in 1999, Honda’s Insight returns after a five-year hiatus, with a 2019 model that evolves from a five-door hatchback into its current incarnation as a traditional compact sedan. The new third-generation Insight ups its game with a third-Gen two-motor hybrid powertrain, featuring a 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine that runs on gasoline that works in tandem with a an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack.

As Honda is on a program geared toward electrified vehicles that it believes will account for two-thirds of its global sales, Insight is designed to look mainstream rather than eco-electric. Moving toward that aim, the 2019 Honda Insight has been recognized as a “green” leader, as the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy named Insight to its “Greenest Vehicles of 2019” list. Additionally, Insight made the 2019 Consumer Guide® Automotive Best Buy Award list in the Compact Car niche, and was an IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) Top Safety Pick and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) top-score achiever.

Available in three trims, the front-drive compact hybrid bases with the well-appointed LX (automatic climate control, keyless entry and start, cloth upholstery, a 5.0-inch screen, Bluetooth, a six-speaker audio system, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a rearview camera); upgrades to the EX (my test ride) with an eight-speaker audio system, a center armrest for the rear seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and two 2.5-amp USB ports; and goes all-out with the Touring trim and its rain-sensing windshield wipers, a power moonroof, perforated leather-trimmed seating, heated front seats with 8-way power adjustment for the driver and 4-way power for the passenger, dual-zone climate control, a 10-speaker audio system, embedded Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™, Honda HD Digital Traffic, 17-inch alloy wheels and LED fog lights.

The 2019 Insight's body structure shares much of its engineering with the 10th-generation Civic, including the latest generation of Honda's proprietary Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, extensive use of high-tensile steel, and leading technologies such as its crash stroke front frame design, which enables a shortened front overhang, and tailor-tempered “soft zones” in the body sides and rear frame for enhanced collision protection. Unlike Civic, the Insight utilizes an aluminum hood (skin and inner frame) for reduced weight and a new, reengineered rear that optimizes air-flow metrics.

The sleek lines, coupe-like profile, and wide stance of the new Insight communicate a sophisticated yet elegant design. Its “flying wing” grille, standard low-profile LED headlights and taillights, tasteful use of chrome, and dynamic character lines emphasize its premium compact sedan character. Longer, wider, lower and more stable than earlier incarnations, the 2019 Insight measures 183.6 inches long, 55.5 inches high and 71.6 inches wide, with a 200-lb, gain in curbweight at about 3000 lbs.

The driver-focused cockpit blends a graceful and wide layout with smoothly integrated technology features and high-quality materials. Premium details includes genuine double stitching on the passenger-side instrument panel, trendy and functional instrumentation, an intricately contoured sport steering wheel, a color TFT digital driver's meter and an overall premium feeling of the cabin. 

Inside my test Insight EX was a surprisingly roomy interior that provides more room than ever, at 39.3 inches of front headroom with 36.9 inches in row two; 42.3 inches of front legroom and 37.4 in the second set of seats and 56.9 inches of shoulder room in row one with 55.0 inches in the rear seats. Interior sightlines are excellent and controls are well laid out and intuitive. 

On the power front, the 2019 Honda Insight relies on the efficient 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine and powerful electric drive motor combine for a system output of 151 horsepower and 197 lb-ft of electric motor torque. Under most conditions, Insight operates as a series hybrid -- the gasoline engine connects to a generator motor to produce electricity that either powers the electric propulsion motor, recharges the 60-cell lithium ion battery pack, or both. The Inline-4 delivers 107hp and 99 lb-ft of torque and while the Hybrid Derive Electric Motor is rated at 129hp and 197 lb-ft, the total system horsepower has a rating of 151 horses and an EPA rating of 55/49/52 mpg. My week of tests achieved an average of 46.0mpg.

While it is a fun drive, the electric motor responds quickly and the engine takes over when asked, with seamless aplomb. On the track, I managed a hand-timed zero-to-60mph sprint in 8.2 seconds on less-than stellar road surfaces, and completed a quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds. Handling was niche-good and brake vectoring helps carve tight corners efficiently.

The Base 2019 Insight LX starts at $22,930. My test LX trim test ride started at $24,160 – gaining connectivity and remote start, and added Safety from the Honda Sensing® system. The top-trim Touring starts at $28,190. My Lunar Silver Insight EX had a black cloth interior, and added Body Side molding for $225; Door Edge Guards for $99; Door Visors for $213; LED Fog Lights for $549; Auto-dimming Mirror with HomeLink® for $415; and Parking Sensors for $515. Destination and handling added $920, for a sticker-as-tested of $26,681.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>