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Honda Insight hybrid 2005 - news and photo gallery
The most fuel efficient of them all, the Insight looks
weird - that has not stopped those determined to save the
planet.
The most fuel efficient vehicle, this side of an all-electric vehicle? It is the Honda Insight. Absolutely strange looks characterise the car. It looks like a
highly evolved version of those solar cars we see on National Geographic.
That said, there is no better way to advertise that you are a hardcore environmentalist today. Unlike all other hybrids - even the Toyota Prius - the Honda Insight remains resolutely odd-looking. It is a no-frills car focused on fuel economy like a shark after its prey.
The two-seater Honda Insight has a lightweight aluminum frame, aluminum and plastic body panels, extreme aerodynamics - note the rear wheel cover / panel.
The Insight has a small 1000 cc (1 liter) engine and an electric motor. The electric motor suplies additional power during acceleration to the puny motor. Honda says that the Insight's acceleration is comparable to a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder car. The 2005 Insight is available with either a 5-speed manual transmission or an advanced continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), achieving EPA city/highway fuel economy ratings of 60/66 and 57/56 mpg, respectively. That is almost 500 miles on a single tank of gasoline.
Honda's method of the gasoline engine-electric motor marriage is called the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. Regenerative braking is employed to charge the batteries - when the Insight brakes, the electric motor acts as a
generator. Unlike an electric-only car, the Insight (and most of the hybrids) does not need to be plugged in at night for a charge. However if the petrol engine shuts down, the Insight cannot drive using its electic motor alone. (Many Prius owners have hacked their vehicles to make this happen.)
The Insight also uses an 'idle-stop' system which turns off the gasoline engine when the car is at a standstill. On models equipped with the CVT, the engine automatically restarts when the driver's foot is removed from the brake. On Honda Insights with a manual transmission, the engine starts up when he irst gear is engaged. All these goings-on make driving
the car an odd business. But many like it.
Standard features of the Honda Insight include anti-lock brakes, electric power steering, dual air bags, power windows and mirrors, a remote entry system, anti-theft Immobilizer system and automatic climate control.
Check out photos of the 2005 Honda Insight hybrid car in the gallery above.
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