Honda's Prius-Killer Resembles Road Kill 4 Months After Entering U.S. Market

I could be wrong, but I think Honda is going to make leaps from here with the Insight. First thing they can start with is get rid of the paddle shifters. I can't see many people using them.

 

The relative failure of The Insight in the american market makes me want to expedite my purchase of a Prius. I feel that sacrifices were made by Toyota to keep The 2010 Prius, II and III's price's lower to compete with The Insight.

I'm also afraid that if Toyota perceives that there is no competition, they've won, the price of The Prius will rise. I'm all for competition. Maybe however that competition won't be The Insight so much as perhaps Fusion and eventually Hyundais Hybrid.

It's interesting to analyse where Honda has gone wrong. Before the consumer release of either car I thought both automakers reactions were interesting. At the Detroit Auto Show The Prius was introduced as being Toyota's "Halo" automobile. It was clearly supported and touted as Toyota's benchmark green automobile and technology.

While almost simultaneously, Honda's introduction while spirited and supportive, had The Insight being described in terms of how it took styling points from the FCX Clarity. I watched a YouTube where a Honda executive described the Hybrid technology and The Insight as a "bridge" technology. Which it very well might become, but it was a different public aknowledgement than what you heard from Toyota.

My point being is that it reflected to me that both automakers have a slightly but significantly different approach to "Hybrids". I think Toyota is much more vested and commited to supporting Hybrid's advancement and sales. In a way, they have to be, they have already sold a million of them in North America.

While I feel Honda is still playing catch up, and still unsure of how commited to hybrids they really want to be. I think they want a product they can sell, but seem unwilling, or unable to really compete with The Prius and HSD. IMO Honda's IMA while viable, simply isn't as good.

At some level you have to wonder what Honda was thinking. The Insight is a compromise at almost every level in comparison to The Prius. Almost the only thing you could put in the Insights column is price, and Toyota thus far has pretty much limited that advantage by keeping Prius II pretty competitive.

I like Honda, I own a Honda right now. But IMO they need to decide what they want to do. A rough 2000 dollar price difference between a Prius and an Insight isn't enough IMO to make me seriously consider The Insight, because HSD is far superior to the Insights current incarnation of IMA.

It's too bad, because for consumers I think competiton is great. Plus there IS a lot I like about The Insight. I like the dash layout, the general interior.

But as a "Prius Killer" or even a "Prius Competitor" it leaves a lot to be desired. The wisdom of releasing a product in such direct competition to a competitor with basicly a foundation of we are "cheaper" and the compromise of being "mediocre" just seems like a huge blunder.

If gas prices eventually reach the $4.00 a gallon level again, and Prius once again become almost impossible to obtain, it will be interesting to see what happens with Insight sales. For newbie Hybrid purchasers, if we have a situation where gas has become prohibitively expensive and the wait for a Prius is long, Honda might be handed the opportunity to get a lot of The Insight on the streets. That might be Honda's only real chance.

 

I'm not ready to declare the Insight 'dead' any more than a size 11 shoe does not make size 9 shoes useless. I do see the Insight as addressing a market, not perhaps as large as the Prius, but there is no doubt a market for an under-end Prius ... a market that does not need to be buying a 7-10 year old Prius (or two-seat Insight.)

If anything the Insight complements the HCH by providing a vehicle with significantly improved, interior bulk space over the HCH. It may also address those who are somewhat cost sensitive and risk adverse to the Prius architecture (aka.,it may run w/o the traction battery.)

Honda needs a stronger hybrid architecture and separating the motor from the flywheel would be a good start. But within its architecture, I have no problem with (but no desire to own) the Insight.

Bob Wilson

 

Honda should have gone for a different model. If you are going to copy the Prius then you had better have something there that makes it significantly better than it's mirror image. People have been asking for a hybrid RAV4 for a while now, that is where Honda would have made more of an imprint. Copy that model and supply the hybrid system.

In general you sometimes have to really look at cars as some of these car makers copy each other way too closely.

 

Honda should have given it a different name. Instead they built a car that doesn't compare favorably with the Prius, and at the same time borrows the name of a different class of vehicle with far better gas mileage, another unfortunate comparison. Seems the marketing dept. is still searching for an identity. I would feel sorry for them except they did this to themselves.