DriverSide has tested the new affordable hybrid car: Honda first marketed the original Insight Hybrid in 1999 and this all-new version went on sale in Europe during spring 2009. The new 2010 Honda Insight is the culmination of over 20 years of hybrid development and more than 35 years of lower impact petrol engine development, which started with the CVCC engine in 1972.

The motivation behind pursuing this technology is fundamental and basic, avoiding waste. In simple terms, the energy from braking on a car with a conventional drivetrain is lost by being converted into energy that disappears into the atmosphere as heat and noise. The task Honda’s R&D engineers set themselves was to harness this energy to the benefit of the customer and the environment.

That experience and technical knowledge has enabled Honda to develop the components and parts in our IMA system so they can be produced at a lower cost without compromising on performance, safety or durability. The aim was to make hybrid technology available to more people by developing a family hybrid car that was more affordable.

Honda has concentrated on developing a car that will deliver better fuel economy in the ‘real world’, taking into account the actual conditions in which the car will be driven by their customers. The fuel economy (combined) is 4.4 l/100km, while CO2 emissions are as low as 101g/km

Honda has produced an affordable, efficient, exceptionally frugal and low emission car but there are styles and techniques of driving that can be employed to take even greater advantage of the hybrid technology. The Eco Assist system developed for the Insight, trains drivers, helping them achieve the best possible fuel economy.

Check out the review here.