Gen III Honda Insight test mule spotted in the Euro zone

[rmay635703]

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/s...id-119544.html

Standalone Honda Hybrid Due Next Year, Long-Range EV Later | News | Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

https://www.carwow.co.uk/news/honda-...ease-date-3718

https://translate.googleusercontent....5RbeVZhpZ9F4EQ

Honda Insight 3rd gen. 2019. - Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum

Not much but idle speculation, hope the insight is a Prius and Ioniq killer, lighter and more efficient

An insight needs skirts, G1 was ideal for me, MT xmsn and all, wish they would offer a more efficient Gen I 2 door Insight alongside the 4 door,

ah well
Beggars can't be choosers

[MetroMPG]

Another swing at a dedicated hybrid, this time in the form of a small sedan?

Holy cow, Honda's a glutton for punishment!

[Ecky]

I'm curious what powertrain Honda will put in it.

-The Accord has a 2.0L Atkinson (lean burn?) rated as the most efficient production gasoline engine ever built, which usually acts as a generator for a 181HP/135kW electric motor. In a narrow speed window (highway speeds) it can directly drive the wheels through a clutched one-speed gear, but otherwise it's probably the most "honest" serial hybrid on the market. It uses a small lithium battery to feed the electric motor the extra power the engine can't make, and may go "EV" for a few miles at a time. It weighs 3500# and is rated 49 city / 47 highway.

-The Clarity uses a smaller 1.5L Atkinson cycle engine acting as a generator to the same motor. It has a much larger battery pack capable of just over 40 miles before the engine need start.

I'd be surprised if Honda used the IMA system again, with the electric motor bolted to the engine's crankshaft. It's relatively inexpensive to implement as it can be a much smaller motor, but it's not very efficient when compared with their newer series design. However, I'm not sure what will differentiate the Insight from the Clarity? Maybe it will use the 1.5L mill but have no plug-in option? Or, perhaps it will have a smaller 1.0L or 1.2L, mated to a smaller motor, with both hybrid and PEHV options?

EDIT: Bear in mind, this is a mule and will not reflect the body design of the new Insight.

[MetroMPG]

What car is the mule based on?

Is that the Honda City?

[MetroMPG]

Yup, it appears to be a lengthened version of the City:

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Another swing at a dedicated hybrid, this time in the form of a small sedan?

Holy cow, Honda's a glutton for punishment!

My thoughts exactly. I don't understand why they would have the Clarity and an Insight at the same time, they're basically the same car, unless the Insight is a hatchback at which point it's a Fit Hybrid.

Then again if you ever look at their Japanese lineup it's mind-boggling. All of their cars have competition.. from other cars of theirs! Same mistake the Big 3 made before the financial crisis. For example, Ford made the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Towncar, and the Taurus which all basically fulfilled the same role.

In Japan Honda has the KEi cars for example... 6 of them are nearly identical. Or Shuttle vs Odyssey, is there REALLY a difference? I guess the Freed is at least cheaper.

?????????Honda

Section Names:
Hybrid
Compact
Minivans
Sedan/Hatchback
Sports/SUV
Kei Cars
Can't read this one, but it's mini dumptrucks
Last section is a Clarity all by itself.

[RedDevil]

All the effort to hide it as a mule... they really don't want to give much insight, do they?

I hope they'll bring more clarity soon...

[MetroMPG]

^ Just... terrible!

Bonus points for being so bad.

[RedDevil]

But when the 2nd gen was released, it looked like a sized down version of the Clarity of that time.

The newest Clarity plugin hybrid has the 1.5 Atkinson engine but it is almost as big as the Accord while the Insight will probably end up smaller that the Civic.

So the G3 may end up looking like this:

with the same tech stuff and all, but just a bit smaller.

The mule by comparison:


The comparison, err... Fits?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Presumably there is still some room for a more compact hybrid in the Honda range, much like both the early Insight and the CR-Z.