Don’t doubt it for a second, green motoring is the future. Even if your moral compass isn’t leading you to help minimise the relatively small impact that cars have in the greater scheme of carbon emissions, this week’s crude oil prices alone should inspire you to reduce your dependence on black gold.
Hybrid cars have been gaining ground as a credible interim solution and the new Honda Insight stakes a good claim for itself as the first true hybrid for the people and though hardly cheap at R259 990, it does undercut the Toyota Prius by more than 70 grand.
The Insight even looks like a hybrid with its aerodynamic ‘tall tail’ design although here it really splits opinion, the comments our test car attracted ranging from ‘sporty’ to ‘ugly duckling’.
All this means nothing if it doesn’t sip and perform like a hybrid and here’s where Honda’s cost cutting becomes most evident.
You see, unlike the aforementioned Japanese rival, this Honda can’t run on electric power alone at low speeds – it’s always using its 1.3-litre i-VTEC petrol engine, its small battery and electric motor simply assisting the process.
Then there’s the economy aspect. Having driven it in a variety of conditions for more than a month, and driving at real-world speeds (mindful of economy but keeping up with traffic) I could not come close to matching Honda’s claimed combined figure of 4.6 litres per 100km.
Typical of a hybrid though, there was little difference between highway and urban consumption. On the open-road journeys I did, it averaged between 5.8l/100km and 6.3 l/100km and in town it varied between 6.3l/100km in light traffic and 6.9l/100km with denser company.
Economical? Yes. Enough to elicit the envy of diesel drivers? Not even close.
Nor do you have much in the way of twisting force, with the Honda offering a total system output of 167Nm, albeit very low down between 1 000 and 1 500rpm, and its 73kW power output is also in the shallow end of its price pool.
The penny really dropped when we strapped our test equipment to the Insight and it took around 16 seconds to get from 0-100km/h. It struggles on the open road too, and overtaking becomes something of a feat that needs to be planned well in advance.
Another bugbear is that droney CVT gearbox that moans like an elephant with toothache when you’re tackling a hill or accelerating hard and all too often it’ll labour the engine unnecessarily even after you’ve reached a good cruising speed (although you can change up manually from the steering wheel).
This gearbox seems to have one mission only and that’s to annoy you to the point of driving like a granny. However, we must give it some credit for using positive reinforcement too. Its instrument readout will grow digital trees for you when you drive efficiently and guide you in real time with a bar that you’re supposed to keep close to the centre and a huge glowing light above the speedo that shines green if you’re feather-footing it. Drive economically enough and you’ll even get a digital trophy to go with your trees.
Of course, for best results you need to leave it in Eco mode, where it’ll smooth out your accelerator inputs, implement smoother gear shifts and make the air-con operate more efficiently.
Despite all its flaws, the Insight actually delivers a smooth and rewarding drive just like any other Honda. It has a cosseting ride quality, acceleration off the mark is very smooth and the steering has a positive feel to it. Throw it courageously through a bend and it remains accurate and composed.
The Insight’s size remains an anomaly. Given its price positioning, and the fact that it’s being pitched as a family car, you’d think it would be Civic-based. However, the fact that it’s identical to the Jazz in width and between the Civic hatch and sedan in length imply that it’s built on a stretched version of the Jazz platform.
These dimensions procure reasonably good rear legroom and the long but shallow boot swallows a decent 400 litres, yet the narrowness of the cabin will ensure intimacy between larger occupants.
Ultimately the Insight impresses as a pleasant town car that’s also economical, but at the price it is nowhere near economical enough to justify the performance penalty you pay. A VW Golf TDI BlueMotion will give you better economy and performance for similar money.
Certainly, diesel engines are likely close to the limit of their advancement while the action for hybrids is only beginning so it’s a given that Honda’s experience in developing and selling this car will result in vast improvements in the next generations, but what it really boils down to here is whether you want to be a guinea pig for hybrids or pig out on a well-rounded diesel.