Honda reintroduced the Insight hybrid in international markets in 2018 after a four-year gap. Now a test mule for the same has been spotted in India. The car wears no camouflage, and the images show that it has been kitted with emissions testing equipment. For those who don’t know, the Honda Insight is the brand’s answer to the popular Toyota Prius hybrid car.
While there is no news of Honda launching the Insight in India, the car could be a test bed for the brand’s hybrid technology which is expected to make its way into more cars aside from the available Accord Hybrid.
The next-gen City is expected to come with a new hybrid powertrain with Honda global CEO Takahiro Hachigo stating that hybrid technology was the most viable way forward to meet the upcoming CAFE norms. Back in 2018, at the CR-V launch, Gaku Nakanishi, President and CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd, had told us that in the next three years the company would launch a more affordable and volume-driven hybrid and ruled out the possibility of it being a CR-V hybrid or a model such as the Accord Hybrid.
The Insight uses a 1.5-litre petrol motor featuring an Atkinson cycle combustion cycle paired with an electric motor to drive the wheels. The next-gen Jazz that was recently revealed also featured electrification, though Honda did not reveal any details other than it used a similar dual-motor setup.
The Insight could therefore be a test bed for the hybrid system expected to be offered in the City Hybrid.
The next-gen City is expected to arrive sometime next year and is expected to be plusher and more upmarket than the current model. It is expected to borrow styling cues from other newer Honda’s such as the facelifted Accord on sale in international markets and the second-gen Amaze.
Aside from a hybrid iteration, the next-gen City is also expected to come with a standard petrol and diesel engine, with both expected to get automatic gearbox options.
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