Honda’s Insight hybrid tops sales in Japan

Insight, the new petrol-electric hybrid from Honda, is proving to be a big success in the Japanese market.

Photo: 2009 Honda Insight hybrid

The Honda Insight hybrid has outsold all other full-size passenger vehicles in Japan during the month of April 2009.

For the record, this is the first time a hybrid model is topping national sales rankings in Japan.

Honda, which incidetally is Japan’s secondbiggest carmaker after Toyota, is said to have received a huge number of orders for the hybrid vehicle. 

The 41-mile-per-gallon, five-door hatchback was launched in Japan, in February 2008.

The car maker sold 10,481 Honda Insights in April 2009, more than double the number in March 2009, and about 1,000 more cars than the next best-selling model, the Fit subcompact, also made by Honda.

The Honda Insight is a redesigned version of Honda’s first hybrid offering, which was dumped by the automotive giant back in year 2006 due to low sales.

The Hybrid Insight is now being sold in Japan for a price of Y1.89 million, which translates into $19,000 for the most basic model. This in effect makes the Honda Insight the cheapest hybrid currently available in the Japanese market.

Another Japanese auto giant Toyota had earlier unveiled its Toyota Prius hybrid whch went on to be a top seling model.

With Honda too making waves with its Honda Insight hybrid, auto companies are now looking at the increasing popularity of green vehicles, and as catalysts to reverse a two-decade slide in Japanese car sales. 

Japan has witnessed plunging car sales in recent times, due to the current global recession.

The Honda Insight’s huge success has been a much-needed fillip for Honda. 

Buoyed by the success of hybrids, Toyota, too, is expected to launch a new version of the Toyota Prius in Japan.

The new Toyota Prius is expected to be a model that will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions than the Honda Insight, which could mean there is hefty competition in the offing for the Honda Insight.