All-new Honda

The all-new 2010 Honda Insight goes on-sale March 24 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price1 (MSRP) of $19,800 for the Insight LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The distinctively styled, five-passenger, five-door dedicated hybrid vehicle is powered by an Integrated Motor Assist™ (IMA™) system comprised of a 1.3-liter i-VTEC® gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt electric motor that together contribute to an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallonn2. The Insight features the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist™), an innovation that can further enhance efficient vehicle operation while providing feedback related to individual driving styles.

“The all-new Honda Insight brings the cost of entry for hybrid technology within closer reach of an entirely new car-shopping audience,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where it can also make financial sense for a broader range of customers.”

A sleek exterior blends design elements from the original 2000 Insight’s highly aerodynamic side profile with a front-end design similar to the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, a marquee environmental product for Honda. The interior offers a roomy passenger environment with a configurable rear seating and cargo area that benefits from 60/40 split fold-down seats.

Major features standard to the Insight LX include front, front-side and side-curtain airbags; an anti-lock braking system; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT); Eco Assist; automatic climate control; tilt and telescope steering column; manual driver’s seat height adjustment; power windows; a four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD player and auxiliary audio input for external digital music players; and much more.

A more premium version of the Insight is also available. The Insight EX, with a MSRP of $21,300, adds to the Insight LX features with Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®); alloy wheels; cruise control; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; an upgraded audio system with six speakers; USB audio interface3; a center console with armrest and storage compartment; heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals; and much more. Exclusively available on the Insight EX, the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System4 (6.5-inch screen) with voice recognition provides routing and guidance to individual addresses and more than 7 million points of interest within the continental United States. Models equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® for hands-free operation of compatible mobile telephones, along with related steering wheel-mounted controls for voice activation of navigation and hands-free telephone systems.

A 4-cylinder engine with intelligent variable valve timing and a DC brushless electric motor forms the foundation of the IMA hybrid system. The electric motor, positioned in-line between the engine and the transmission, adds power during acceleration and in certain cruising situations, and recaptures energy from the vehicle’s forward momentum during braking (regenerative braking).

The Insight’s IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed cruising conditions. It can also provide cylinder deactivation during deceleration and an idle-stop feature when the vehicle is stationary. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range exceeding 400 miles. Models for sale in California and states that have adopted the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ZEV standards receive an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) emissions rating.

The Insight introduces Eco Assist to help drivers achieve improved real-world fuel economy. Eco Assist is a feature designed to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency for their given set of driving conditions. Pressing the ECON button can further enhance the efficiency of multiple vehicle systems: throttle control, CVT operation, idle-stop duration, air conditioning and cruise-control operation (EX only). Eco Assist also provides feedback about driving style via a 3D-appearing background within the speedometer. The background changes colors from green to blue to reflect how efficiently or inefficiently the driver is accelerating or braking (green = efficient). The driver’s results are continuously tracked as fuel-economy ratings are shown per drive cycle and on a lifetime basis in the form of plant-leaf graphics that appear in the Multi-Information Display (MID). Up to five leaves can be ‘earned’ as the driver demonstrates a fuel-efficient driving style. A real-time score is shown in the Eco Guide MID screen.

Standard safety features on all Insights include dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; front-side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); side-curtain airbag system; anti-lock brakes with electronic brake distribution (EBD); driver’s and front-passenger’s active head restraints and a front body designed to mitigate pedestrian injuries. All new Insights also feature Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which provides improved frontal-crash compatibility between vehicles of different size and ride height.

Honda is a leader in developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies, including the original Honda Insight, introduced as America’s first mass-produced hybrid car in December 1999. Honda is also a leader in the development of advanced alternatives to gasoline, including the zero-emission, hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity fuel-cell car, the world’s most advanced production fuel-cell automobile.

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2009 Honda Fit

Introduction
The small car is king. Truly, in this time of gas price roller coaster rides, environmental activism and economic uncertainty, people who can make the switch to small and efficient vehicles are doing so, and in droves. This is especially the case when you see and drive the thoroughly new 2009 Honda Fit: there's little by way of sacrifice if you choose Honda's smallest car, from its innovative and upgraded interior to its fun-to-drive character and efficient bottom line. Simply put, the Honda Fit fits what many people actually need from their cars.

Of course, Honda sees what's going on, and is aggressively trying to stay one step ahead of an ever-growing crowd of competitors like the Nissan Versa, Scion xD and more. To that end, they've kept the Fit fresh, giving it a redo just two years after its debut in North America as a 2007 model.

Changes for 2009 include a new, more upscale and driver-friendly exterior design and an improved interior with better materials and seats.

About those seats. When it debuted for the 2007 model year, the Fit immediately become known for its amazingly configurable interior. Called the magic seat, because of the multitude of ways in which the second row could be folded, this feature remains largely unchanged for the 2009 model year, the only difference being the deletion of the "refresh" mode as one of the possible configurations, and the addition of a secret compartment at the seat bottom.

Other improvements for 2009 include better performance and slightly more power on the road. Honda's new 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine gives the Fit slightly more horsepower and torque, while upgrades to chassis and suspension components improve the overall ride and handling experience. Of course, larger standard wheels have a little to do with that, as well, but overall the Fit is sized just right for today's fun-minded, economy-required consumer.

The Fit is fuel efficient, earning an EPA-estimated 27/33 mpg City/Highway. The 1.5-liter engine delivers 117-horsepower at 6600 rpm and 106 pound-feet of torque at 4800 rpm.


Interior
Since it debuted in 2007, what's inside the Fit has been perhaps its most talked about feature, in good and bad ways. Case in point: while the seats configure into a multitude of handy ways, the quality of the materials left many wanting.

For the 2009 model year, Honda has improved critical elements of the interior while leaving the awesome utility of the little car mostly intact. For example, the Fit gets new front seats and sits taller and wider, providing slightly more room for passengers.

The materials feel more ample and durable, and the center stack layout is among the easiest, most intuitively placed schemes we've seen in some time. The large knobs that control the environment and settings curve around the stereo controls on the driver's side, making the design stylish and easy to reach, though the plastic controls felt a bit thin to the touch.

Another high point of the new interior are the in-dash cupholders and split glovebox, though both upper and lower boxes are too small to be of much use. Even with all these changes, the best thing about the Fit hasn't changed much: magic seats. No, they won't transport you like George Jetson or Aladdin, but Honda's magic seats do move in a number of ways, from folding flat for utility and up for tall objects. There's even a small storage compartment under the seats for small items.

Space inside the cabin ranges is almost-spacious in front and adequate in back, especially for a car this size. Surprisingly, the 2009 Fit offers slightly more cargo volume than even the spacious Nissan Versa.

Comfort-wise, the Fit feels large inside, thanks to its expansive green house and new seats. Visibility from the driver's seat is excellent. The side mirrors are 30 percent larger than those on the outgoing model. The most noticeable difference is up front, where a broader front windshield and close-up seating improve sightlines and feel for the road. Slender roof pillars front and rear minimize blind spots and create a more airy feel to the cabin.

Driving Impressions
The Fit is fun to drive. For everyday driving it's an obedient and comfortable conveyance, thanks to new seats and suspension changes that smoothed out the previous model's ride.

While the Fit's power supply is modest, we found driving a model with either the manual transmission or automatic with paddle shifters upped the fun meter by allowing drivers to dip down into the vehicle's torque band when needed.

Fit delivers an EPA-estimated 27/30 miles per gallon City/Highway, so it's a nice fit between fun-to-drive and frugality.

Case in point: on twisty corners, the Fit is much more fun, and almost as efficient as the Scion xD or Nissan Versa. Most of the time, the rear of the car nicely follows the front, even under aggressive duress, and with a new electric steering set up that's improved, but still lacks touch, the Fit communicates its intent clearly, if not with authority. We found the Fit to be quite tossable, the kind of car that's easy and predictable under spirited driving, without much wallow or ungainly lean in the corners.

We found that the clutch and throw play on the manual transmission was easy to manipulate and quite fun to operate.

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of driving the Fit is the noise: the engine squeals when you hammer the throttle, whining and moaning its displeasure even during normal driving situations, like accelerating from a stop light. You get a more muted response from the competition.

2009 Fit Review Summary & Specifications
The Honda Fit offers a compelling balance of economy, fun, interior convenience and comfort. It offers engineering excellence and value. From a healthy list of standard safety equipment to multiple seat configurations and ample storage room, the Fit simplifies your life. Drawbacks include a noisy and thrashy ride, slightly numb steering and a small (split) glovebox.

Brian Chee filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com after his test drive of the Honda Fit models in Southern California.

2009 Honda Fit Specs
Editor Brian Chee
Model Lineup Honda Fit ($14,550); Honda Fit Sport ($16,060); Honda Fit Sport Navi ($17,910)
Safety Equipment (optional) Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
Assembled In Suzuka, Japan


2009 Honda Fit Specs as Tested
Standard Equipment fabric upholstery, telescoping steering wheel, auxiliary input jack for iPod, MP3/WMA playback, passenger vanity mirror, magic seat configuration, sporty front bumper, body-colored side mirrors, keyless entry, USB connectivity, driver side armrest and map lights; navigation with voice recognition; Vehicle Stability Assist
Layout front-wheel drive
Fuel Economy 27/33
Wheelbase 98.4
Turning Radius 34.4
Front Head/Hip/Leg room 40.4/51.5/41.3
Middle Head/Hip/Leg room
Trunk Volume 57.3
Stock Tires 185/55R16

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