Honda Insight - My First Impressions From the Auto Show

Thank you for DRL information in Canada.

Found Honda's English press release of Insight announcement in Japan.
Honda Worldwide | February 5, 2009 "All-New Honda Insight Hybrid Vehicle Introduced in Japan"

Ken@Japan

 

FYI,
Found Insight owner's manual (40MB size) in Japanese.
http://www.honda.co.jp/manual/insight/2010/pdf/2010-insight-all.pdf
Honda Insight manual

Ken@Japan

 

The Insight Japanese owner's manual is interesting.
On page 151 (153 of PDF), there are descriptions about Auto Idling Stop (AIS).

-----
The AIS is a system to stop ICE for better fuel economy when vehicle stops at signal stop or traffic jam.

ICE will stop automatically when following conditions met;

• when shift position is [D] or [N]
• when brake pedal is kept pressed on stopping

ICE will restart when brake pedal is released.

ICE does not stop automatically on the following conditions;

• when stop from a drive not exceeding 15km/h after ICE started
• when ICE coolant temperature is low
• when transmission oil temperature is low
• when shift position is [R], or [L]
  [*]when stop at steep hill
  [*]when defroster is on
  

ICE may not stop automatically on the following conditions;

• when IMA battery level is low
• when IMA battery temperature is too low or too high
• when interior temperature is far from set temperature (in case of ECON switch is OFF)
• when dehumid function is working under high humid condition
• when panic stop was done

ICE may restart from AIS

• when shift to [R] or [L]
• when accelerator pedal is pressed
• when vehicle moves on relaxing brake pedal at a slope
• when IMA battery level becomes low
• when ICE coolant temperature becomes low
• when brake pedal is pressed and relaxed repeatedly (hint: vacuum booster?)
• when interior temperature becomes far from set temperature
• when interior humidity becomes high on A/C on

-----
Enjoy,
Ken@Japan

 

I don't think it has a timer.
You have to keep same brake level during a long wait.
If you pump your brake pedal, the vacuum will be lost.

There is no description about [P] position in the manual, but a friend told us ICE started when he shifted to [P].
I'm also trying to do a test drive.

Ken@Japan

 

It sounds like the 2G Insight operates the same as the 1G Insight with respect to the vacuum booster. (If you stop normally the engine will stop, if you pump the brakes, the engine will start to build vacuum)

The 15 kph rule is the same for all IMA vehicles. (I say all, it applies to the 1G Insight, and Civic hybrids, I don't know about the Accord) The Insight and Civic hybrid forums are full of people posting that the auto-stop feature doesn't work on their vehicle. The reply comes back that they can't creep along a foot at a time but instead need to stop, accelerate to 10 mph, then stop again.

I didn't have a problem with auto-stop on the Civic Hybrids (2006) I rented in California. However, I'm not a "creeper". I normally drive a manual transmission car so to creep along I would constantly have to feather the clutch then hold the clutch. Instead I stop and put the car in neutral. When traffic has moved a couple of car lengths, I put the car in gear and move.

 

...

15kph ?

Nah, the threshold speed varies from generation to generation. Furthermore, the Insight II alters this very same speed threshold depending on whether the ECON button is on or not. Even the English owner's manuals for these cars are notoriously lacking and missing a lot of important info.

If you folks want to learn about the nuances and details or driving and owning a late gen IMA I suggest you start here.

By the way, "we" have test driven the Insight II and even though it was not enough to really experience car as much as we would have like to, it also did not deviate much from what we already know about the HCH-II.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

No need to guess on this one either. It had reached warm-up stage S3 in the first 10 seconds after power up.

The HCH-II has a somewhat more complex warm-up stage sequence than the 2nd gen Prius II. You'll find the warm-up tables here (towards the middle of the document). For comparison, the tables that follow are for the 2nd Gen Prius.

 

FYI,
UK Insight Press Pack (PDF:29pages:14MB ) is available at ...
Honda UK Media Resource :: Cars

Ken@Japan

 

Toyota UK have not yet even acknowledged the existence of the 2010 car on their website. Nothing in the News section, nothing in the 2009 New Models section, zip. They refer to "6 new models in 2009" but this refers to the iQ, 2009 Avensis, Aygo, Auris, Yaris and 'Urban Cruiser', which appears to be a jacked-up Yaris in the same way that a European Ford Fusion is a jacked-up Fiesta.

Lexus.co.uk has news releases about the RX450h and HS250h but only in the News section; nothing in the main site.

 

Hi All,

Saw an Insight II on a car carrier this morning buggying through Chicagoland traffic. It was blue, about half way between the Seaside Blue and the Spectra Blue. Oh what a cute little Prius er Insight...