2010 Honda Insight EU Version Called 'Aero Athlete' Concept

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

Although the Honda Insight design team started with a blank piece of paper - in that this was a brand new model with no history - they faced many challenges in creating the exterior appearance of the Honda Insight.

On the one hand, as a low emission hybrid car, it had to express environmental credentials - it had to look like a 'green' car - but on the other hand it had to appear dynamic and fun to drive; part of Honda's key design principles. Above all, in line with the positioning of Honda Insight, the design had to appeal to a broad range of people.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

While the 'greenness' of the car may have challenged the sporty direction of the overall design, in some areas it actually helped the dynamic cause. Because the newly-developed IMA system is more compact, it meant the nose of the car could be shorter, creating a snubbed, more aggressive look to the front end.

Another important factor that led (and to some extent restricted) the exterior design was the bodystyle itself. To appeal to as many people as possible, a 5-door layout was chosen, and this brought its own challenges, particularly when optimising the aerodynamics of the car, and creating enough headroom for passengers in the rear.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

The Insight adopts slim, projector-style headlights in a 4-light cluster. The headlight's low beam has blue detailing, and the indicators are located in the lower bumper face.

Firstly, the line from the centre of the roof to the top of the boot lid is at the optimum angle for controlling the flow of air off the top of the car, with minimum turbulence. Also, you'll notice that the top half of the body tapers in towards the rear of the car, which also helps the air flow travel smoothly over the car. Stable air flow over this section helps the car pass through the air with minimal drag.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

"The concept for the main shape of the car is called 'Aero Athlete'," says Mr Minowa. "It reflects a sporty, lean body with no fat, the tension of muscles and nothing unnecessary added." The Honda Insight is fitted with a seven-spoke alloy design, to enhance the sporty image of the car.

All Honda Insight grades are equipped with Honda's Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system, designed to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying braking to the right or left hand wheels as necessary and managing the engine torque systems.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

Honda's IMA hybrid system concept is now 10 years old - having made its debut in the original Insight back in 1999. IMA stands for Integrated Motor Assist, which consists of a low-friction 1.3 litre engine that serves as the primary power source, an ultra thin electric motor, a lightweight and compact battery with a continuously variable transmission.

This system has been used successfully in not only the Honda Insight, but also the Civic IMA, and its successor, the Civic Hybrid. Over the years the system has evolved and become smaller, more lightweight and less expensive to produce, and the latest version in the new Honda Insight is the most advanced IMA technology introduced by Honda to date. The fifth generation IMA system in the Insight is 24% more compact than the fourth generation system freeing up space for luggage.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

The engine itself is new, but is based heavily on the 1.3-litre from the Civic Hybrid. This modified i-VTEC unit from the Civic Hybrid has been further enhanced with lessons learned from the Jazz incorporated to improve fuel economy. The low friction, pattern coated piston design has been combined with a new catalyst design to further optimise this already highly efficient power unit. These measures along with a further stabilised combustion process give a fuel economy improvement for the engine alone of 2% on what is already a highly-efficient unit.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

When combined, the motor and engine produce lively performance ideal for urban environments, with good throttle response and acceleration times to rival conventional 1.6-litre petrol cars with automatic gearboxes. The Honda Insight reaches 100 km/h from a standing start in 12.6 seconds, and goes on to a top speed of 186 km/h.

2010 Honda Insight EU Version

Using a CVT transmission in a hybrid provides smooth and predictable gear transitions and helps keep the IMA system operating in its most efficient range. In the Insight, an evolution of the high-torque CVT unit from the Honda Civic Hybrid is used.

This version of CVT has a lower final drive gear ratio (4.200 from 3.937), which results in faster-acting initial acceleration performance.