Honda Insight 1.3 Hybrid
Hybrid. Does the mere mention of the term send shivers down your spine? Thought so. Which kind of shivers? The green, tree hugging, Kumbaya kind or the, what is the point, I want a real car kind?
The concept is electric assisted petrol motor, with a battery to store wasted energy and feed it in on demand. Think small petrol motor with an electrickeried, huge wind up rubber band ready to be wound up when braking and released when needed.
The trouble with the technology is the battery. A small petrol motor with a small electric motor is a great concept. Two small engines combining their efforts to appear seamlessly as one medium sized engine. If driven properly great fuel consumption may be achieved.
There is a problem, actually two problems. Heat. And weight. Not the motors. The battery system. Charging the battery generates heat which means wasted energy. Inefficient, you see. Using the battery's energy generates heat. You get the picture. This is true for ALL hybrids. A better system requires eliminating batteries for storage and we haven't figured out how to do that yet. There are some systems in the pipeline where drive is entirely electric, with a petrol or diesel motor, running at a constant steady rpm, it being very easy to design an engine to run most efficiently for a particular engine speed only.
Ok, so you read all that and you still want a hybrid. Bring on the Honda. Perfect for most Hybrid devotees, this is no pocket rocket. Efficient, unflustered and comfortable, with easy steering devoid of much feedback. The whole thing is geared for the non-driving enthusiast who wants a car that is easy and just works. This it does. If driven in a spirited fashion the car is willing enough, but bear in mind its design parameters. Hard driving will see fuel consumption of 7 plus litres per 100km's. If that is your intention buy a small diesel. For city driving, you get a spacious practical car.
There are innovative gizmos, with a display showing your efficiency by “growing” virtual trees depending on your driving style. Real time indicator needles swinging from battery charge to engine assist as the car does, and a charming green glow some distance behind the floating digital speedo, green when you are being good, blue when you are burning those poor Dino juices.
The CVT gearbox is perfectly mated to this drivetrain. Expect 0-100 in 12.5 seconds. The power output is 65kw from the 1339cc engine and 10,3kw from electric. The big deal is torque. 121Nm @ 4000 from petrol but a magical extra 78,4Nm from 1000rpm with both going!
Of concern to me was future maintenance, what would the durability of the battery be, and what will the replacement cost be? The assumption is that the profile of potential buyer is probably going to keep the car a while. You will be pleased to know the battery has an expected lifespan of 15 years! The current replacement cost is a realistic R32,000.
In summary if a Hybrid is workable for you, or you need to make a green statement, buy this one. It is the best priced hybrid available at R259,900 on the market, and it comes with Honda's legendary reliability and build quality.
