Honda’s finally pulled the sheet off the world’s cheapest hybrid, a $19,000 five-seater that resurrects the Insight name and looks a lot like the car it’s meant to unseat as the must-have ride of the eco-conscious set.

The company won’t formally introduce the Insight until the Paris Motor Show next month, but the photo it released today shows a car bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Toyota Prius. Yeah, that front end was clearly inspired by Honda’s eco-flagship, the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, but there’s no mistaking the general shape of the car.

Honda was the first to bring a hybrid — a funky little two-seater called the Insight — to America. But that car and the Civic Hybrid were all but ignored as people flocked to the Prius, which has outsold Honda’s gas-electric models 4 to 1. Honda’s decided the best way to close the gap is to make hybrids as cheap as they are efficient.

"The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the U.S. and remains a symbol of Honda’s committment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency," company CEO Takeo Fukui says. "This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value."

Strictly speaking, the car in the pic, like the one we’ll see in Paris, is a concept, but with Honda planning to have the Insight in showrooms on April 22 — Earth Day — it’s a safe bet we won’t see many changes on the production model. The headlights and wheels might be different, but the general shape of the car will be the same.

The Insight is said to be a tad smaller than the Civic. It’s an all-new design and the company’s first dedicated hybrid since the Insight was discontinued in 2006. The new Insight uses an updated version of the Integrated Motor Assist system found in the Civic Hybrid, and like that car it’ll use nickel-metal hydride batteries because Honda doesn’t think lithium ion technology is quite ready for prime time.

That distinctive shape probably makes the Insight more aerodynamic than the Civic Hybrid, which is key to improving fuel economy. The Insight will reportedly get 60 mpg, up from the gas-electric Civic’s combined city / highway figure of 42 mpg. Honda says the Insight is lighter than the Civic as well but didn’t provide any specifics.

The Insight will be built on a new assembly line at Honda’s factory in Suzuka. The company expects global sales to hit 200,000 annually, with half of those sold in the United States. The car is one of four hybrids Honda plans to offer by 2012 and could provide the chassis on which the sportier CR-Z hybrid might be built.

Photos by Honda and Toyota.





