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2010 Honda Insight spy photos

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Rybold, Jul 16, 2008.

  1. bedrock8x

    bedrock8x Senior Member

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    I agree, it is a Honda looks like a Prius.
    The two tier instrument panel is like the Civic Hybrid, not Toyota style.





     
  2. PriuStorm

    PriuStorm Senior Member

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    Another giveaway that this isn't a Toyota is the rear door... the line that curves over/along the wheel is sloped and very smooth without any definition, whereas the Prius has a very defined line as it goes over/along the wheel and returns to the window. It's much more like the Civic than the Prius.

    [​IMG]

    2008 Honda Civic
    [​IMG]

    Prius
    [​IMG]
     
  3. ranchogirl

    ranchogirl New Member

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    Does Honda really design cars like that? By taking a bunch of different cars and duct-taping them together?

    Ew. Don't ever want a Honda.
     
  4. Arroyo

    Arroyo Member

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    HONDA'S NEW HINDSIGHT

    The latest battle raging on the Internet boards revolves around some spy photographs of what's believed to be Honda's new competitor to the Prius. If you've been keeping up with the news, you'll know that Honda has admitted that it was a tactical error to simply offer hybrid vehicles that were virtually indistinguishable from its non-hybrid counterparts (e.g., the Honda Accord Hybrid and Civic Hybrid). In hindsight, Honda believes that it would have sold more hybrids if its cars were styled with a more eco-friendly signature (“hey, look at my car, it's a hybrid!”) - like the Prius.

    Well, if the spy shooters are correct in identifying the vehicle as the new Honda hybrid sedan, it's a shameless copy of the fabulously successful Toyota design. It so closely resembles the Prius that some enthusiasts can't believe it's a Honda. Although the grille is clearly similar to Honda's new FCX fuel cell vehicle, the grille and bumper integration as well as the headlight assemblies bear a striking resemblance to the newly facelifted Toyota Avalon. The four-door hatchback in the spy photos also has a horizontal character line running along the upper half of the side flanks – just like the renditions of the yet-to-be released 2010 Prius. It's also hard to tell if that taped-up logo is a Honda trapezoid or a Toyota oval. On the other hand, the dashboard and wheels look like Honda issues. To confuse the lookie loos even more, the spy shot car is accompanied by both a current Toyota Prius and a current Honda Civic Hybrid. Did the Honda people bring the Prius along for comparison? Or did Toyota bring the Civic as a decoy? The most convincing evidence that this is a Honda comes from readers who point out that the license plate 3421 appears to be an often seen Honda manufacturer plate number.

    Some sources are asserting that Honda will resurrect the “Insight” name for the new car. If true, it will be a deft and dandy move. After all, the Insight was the first high-volume hybrid sold in America, and using the Insight name will serve to remind the public that Honda was first in America with a hybrid. Moreover, the design of the 2004-2009 Prius borrowed heavily from the original Insight. Honda can say the new car is not a rip-off of the Prius; on the contrary, the Prius design is but a four-door rip-off of the original Insight. One area I wish Honda really would rip-off Toyota is in using a full, dual-mode hybrid design. Alas, reports are that the new car will use the Integrated Motor Assist mild hybrid design of the current Civic Hybrid. That means the new car can't be driven in electric car mode at low speeds – a nice feature enjoyed by Prius owners.

    Assuming that this is indeed Honda's new Prius-fighter, we are getting a pretty clear picture of a signature look for hybrid sedans. Don’t be surprised if other manufacturers follow suit with similar-looking hybrid sedans.


    - Back Seat Driving

    http://lacar.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=972#bsd3
     
  5. Genoz World

    Genoz World ZEN-style living

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    BS X tenfold..............................nothing new, nothing unspoken for. it's a prius.................is the OP looking for stardom?
     
  6. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    I don't buy this argument for a minute. If Honda wanted to both distinguish
    its hybrids and lay a clear claim to the Insight heritage, all they had to do
    was add OEM rear wheel skirts/spats, full or partial, to the Civic and Accord
    hybrids. There are no other mainline cars that have OEM skirts. On a Honda,
    they'd just scream "INSIGHT!" and by inference, "HYBRID!" It would have been
    relatively inexpensive to do as well. Honda missed a real PR/marketing coup
    there.

    Then, to make up for it, they do a Prius clone. Strange, that would seem to
    argue that the Gen II Prius is the better car! And what about the Gen III? I'm
    thinking that the only strong point in Honda's favor might be a marked price
    differential, stemming mainly from the simpler hybrid and associated control
    systems.

    If you go to this site, you will see that this article was published on July 01, '08.
    In post #17, on July 16, '08, I also used the word Hindsight. Although I had
    not read the article, and had no other knowledge of it, I'd like to acknowledge
    that it author, Nakano, used it first.
     
  7. Arroyo

    Arroyo Member

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    Thanks, Rokeby, but South Park (Comedy Central) actually used it before all of us in its notoriously funny "Smug Alert" episode.
     
  8. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    this is just maybe the new 2010 model
    you can see the little window in the back is not the same
     
  9. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    The exterior looks a LOT like a Prius.
     
  10. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    I agree with PriuStorm. Take the '08 Civic, lift the trunk into a hatchback and viola, the 2010 Honda Hybrid whatever they are calling it.
     
  11. KayakerNC

    KayakerNC Member

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    Could it be......?

    A Honda Hybrid Within Your Reach - Starting in Early 2009

    "Our newest hybrid is a futuristic five-door hatchback that sports a unique style and sleek design. It is powered by a new lighter weight and efficient Integrated Motor Assist IMA® Hybrid system that offers a spirited ride, with plenty of amenities. And it’s all within your reach, starting in early 2009."
     
  12. yunebug

    yunebug Gas Guzzler

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    Ring the bell.

    There it is. :0)
     
  13. JamesWyatt

    JamesWyatt Señior Member

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    Lets hope they can make them in significant numbers.
     
  14. haruman

    haruman Junior Member

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    I saw this car near Honda Research and Development Headquarters here in CA. It was all taped up just like the photos. had the Honda name plate covered with tape, but you can clearly see the honda emblem on there. Design-wise, it does look like the prius, but the way honda's hybrid of course works differently. I've always liked the way the civic hybrid accelerates, but it's just too bad that the design was to crappy and no fold down seats for any storage what's so ever.

    I hope this new prius look alike car will lower the internal cabin noise.

    The japanese guy inside just grined as it passed by.
     
  15. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Did any of you think Honda may have put on the camouflage in a way to make the body look very Prius like just to through off the spies?

    It's definitely a Honda, but could be using some Toyota-ish parts to disguise it.
     
  16. JamesWyatt

    JamesWyatt Señior Member

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  17. Jack66

    Jack66 Kinda Jovial Member

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  18. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    o wait
    ty maybe try to make it look like a prius
    because if this is really the final model shape its so like a prius toyota need to bring them before court
     
  19. bedrock8x

    bedrock8x Senior Member

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    It looks more and more like a Clarity with a fifth hatch door attached to the rear.

    The parting lines of the doors are exactly the same.

    BTW, it has been confirmed that it is the new GSH from Honda by Autocar mag.


     
  20. catsbox

    catsbox Member

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    At $600 a month lease I will wait for the next gen. Prius