Honda Insight Goes On Sale in US This Month Starting at $19,800

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It has respectable handling and using a special econ mode and careful driving, has achieved more than 60 MPG in testing.

Honda has positioned the car as being an affordable hybrid. Today they proved their point. The entry level LX version of the car will go on sale in the US March 24th for $19,800.

The higher EX trim level will go for $21,300 and with Navigation $23,100.

Honda hopes to sell 200,000 of these cars worldwide, and 100,000 per year in the US. If current rapid selling rates in Japan and Europe are any indication, they just might make it.

Source (Honda)

INSIGHT PHOTO GALLERY

Press Release:

All-new Honda Insight Starts Under $20,000; Becomes Most Affordable New Hybrid Available in the U.S.

Insight targets entry segment as gateway to hybrid technology

TORRANCE, Calif., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on sale March 24 with a manufacturer's suggested retail price(1) (MSRP) of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist(TM) (IMA(TM)) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC(R) gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon(2). The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

"The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. "In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers."

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight's highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Major features standard to the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist; automatic climate control; tilt and telescope steering column; manual driver's seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.

A more premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX, with a MSRP(1) of $21,300, adds to the Insight LX features with Vehicle Stability Assist(TM) (VSA(R)); alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface(3); a center console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and much more. Exclusively available on the Insight EX, the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(4) (6.5-inch screen) with voice recognition provides routing and guidance to individual addresses and more than 7 million points of interest within the continental United States. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth(R) HandsFreeLink(R) for hands-free operation of compatible mobile telephones, along with related steering wheel-mounted controls for voice activation of the navigation and hands-free telephone systems.