New Honda hybrid debuts in Detroit
This week Honda released the very first official image of the showroom-ready Insight Hybrid, while announcing that its rival for the Toyota Prius would make its production debut at the Detroit Show in January.
Honda claims that the Insight will be the most affordable hybrid available when it goes on sale early in 2009, though it's expected to undercut the Toyota Prius by a relatively small margin.
On the back of burgeoning hybrid sales, Honda plans to produce 200,000 Insights per annum, with half of that allocated to the US market.
When Honda revealed the Insight concept earlier this year it suggested that the production version would feature technology that leads to real-world fuel economy benefits.
One of the features is christened 'Eco Assist', a function that monitors the driver's 'greenness' and updates them in real-time with a prominent interactive display.
The production-ready Insight looks remarkably similar to its big rival from Toyota, though a new Prius is known to be imminent, giving consumers much more choice in the hybrid market than before.
Honda has stated that the Insight will not replace the Civic Hybrid, which recently received a facelift, while the Japanese company also plans to introduce a sporty hybrid coupé next year.
