Honda Prepares moving 1.5 Litre IMA Hybrid into Honda Insight ‘Premium’.
Honda had their significantly hopes sales of second Honda Insight generation. Honda aims to sell Honda Insight 100,000 vehicles a year initially and will grow to 300,000 – 500,000 cars from 2011. However, now, sales of Honda Insight was fallen back to only just 20,000 cars in 2010 for the U.S. market. And for the global market, They would not want to talk about it.
Honda unveiled. The all new Honda Insight in February 2009 before an introduction of Toyota Prius modelchange just two weeks, highlighting of Honda Insight is the lowest price in Hybrid market. Installed with 1.3 liter IMA. However, Honda spent for short happy time. Toyota introduced Prius a new look with more expensive than the Honda Insight is not much. And then Toyota still sells Prius second generation alongside with new model, to change its name to Toyota Prius EX. Set the price same as Honda Insight. Since then, the Honda Insight is not successful as they expected.
Honda Fit Hybrid (Honda Jazz Hybrid) has been creating a new area of a small Hybrid car Market very well. It made an addition to the total sales of the Honda Fit in Japan again and overtake Toyota Prius, and then it sales overtake a Honda Insight as well.
Major factors going to be Big fail for Honda Insight is a car without an Advanced Hybridtechnology as Toyota Synergy Hybrid, You must pay more expensive than Internal Combustion Engine, but it has fuel consumption not very well, tight cabin and not versatile equivalent as Honda Jazz.
Honda has plans urgent improvement to take the 1.5 Litre IMA Hybrid from Honda CR-Z and Honda Civic Hybrid, installs into the Honda Insight and changes with the new name called “Honda Insight Premium”, it is more expensive version 1.3 liters IMA Hybrid.
1.5 Litre IMA Hybrid is a high-performance Hybrid engine than ever before, to 128 hp maximum power can compete with the Toyota Prius in terms of acceleration and make the Honda Insight Premium move differently from the Honda Jazz Hybrid.
In addition, Honda Insight Premium adds more comfortable in the cabin by adding the length of the cabin by 5 mm, expansion Headroom by 10 mm.
Honda use opportunity to improve the new look of the Honda Insight and Honda Insight Premium 1.5 Litre IMA by changing to a new front grille looks similar to the Honda FCX Clarity, change the front bumper and installing LED Daylight.
Honda would not expect anything more than the Honda Insight Premium. Honda Insight Premium only market expansion.