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Honda Insight News & Reviews

   2010 Honda Insight Road Test Review

As of April 22, 2009 (aka Earth Day,) Canada's most affordable hybrid went on sale. No, it's not the Honda Civic Hybrid or

Canada's lowest priced hybrid is upon us, and Honda's new Insight is a serious contender. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

even the Toyota Prius, it's the Honda Insight! You know, that quirky looking two-door that had its back wheels covered for optimizing aerodynamics, making it look like some sort of oriental Citroen? But you probably won't instantly recognize it anymore by above description because it has had an extreme makeover. Now it not only looks better, it gets even better fuel economy too.

To kick off the release of the Japanese auto manufacturer's greenest creation, the first ever registered 2010 Insight in Canada (named Insight Canada 1) will be traveling on a cross-country relay; being driven by various journalists and individuals to 1) introduce Canadians to the most affordable hybrid in the country and 2) to check the environmental pulse of people living in various areas. The relay started at "Mile 0" in Victoria, British Columbia and ends at "Mile 0" in St. John's, Newfoundland.

I happened to be extremely privileged to find myself being half of the first pair of journalists to drive Insight Canada 1. Myself, along with Jeannie Owens-Wallace, a Victoria-based journalist, took our brand new green friend around beautiful downtown Victoria and up the Island to test out its fuel economy <Read More>

   2010 Honda Insight Road Test Review

The original Honda Insight of 2000 was a groundbreaker without a doubt. In North America, it pioneered a major new

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em... Honda's new Insight looks a lot like the Toyota Prius from profile. (Photo: Honda)

trend with its high-tech hybrid gasoline/electric powertrain. It started a rush on this kind of technology from rival automakers that continues today, though the overall market for hybrid vehicles remains very small on a worldwide basis. It's also worth noting that manufacturers were building hybrid vehicles as long ago as 1901, so perhaps the current surge of enthusiasm is more of a revival than a breakthrough.

The old Insight actually had quite a long life, remaining in Honda's range until 2006. By then, Honda was offering Civic and Accord models in hybrid form and the Insight was never a paragon of practicality. It was sleek, sporty, thrifty and lightweight, but cargo space in the snug two-seater hatchback was always tight and it was not the best choice for any kind of road trip - especially with two occupants.

The Insight won numerous awards for economy and most of those built are still around and much-loved by their owners. I drove one quite recently and was impressed <Read More>

   Honda debuts new Civic Coupe and Sedan concepts

Concepts? Maybe that's what Honda is calling the Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan that recently rolled onto the

John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda, introducing the Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan in Detroit. (Photo: Honda)

brand's Detroit auto show stage, but in this case the line between concept and reality is rice paper thin.

Sounding more like a speech for the introduction of the actual production model than these concept cars, John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda expounded on the Civic's "balance of 'just-right' packaging, fun-to-drive character and outstanding fuel economy," before stating that the "redesigned Civic builds on this legacy and promises to be the best Civic yet."

The new duo, set to go on sale in April with a 2012 model designation, is a tauter, more expressive version of the current Civic lineup. To be clear, anyone who likes the Civic on sale now, will love the updated version, and those hankering for a return to the once-loved <Read More>

   2011 Honda Accord SE Sedan Road Test Review

Since its introduction more than 30 years ago, the Honda Accord has been nothing if not consistent - it has been consistently reliable,

Honda's Accord has grown larger and larger over the decades, and today's version is largest of all. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

it has been a consistent bestseller, and it has grown consistently larger. This last characteristic has been especially apparent since the late 1990s, when the design of the North American Accord was uncoupled from the European and Japanese versions to better cater to North American tastes.

The Accord started out as a compact model, and remained that way until the fifth generation was introduced as a mid-size model in the mid-1990s. When the current, eighth-generation Accord was introduced to North America back in 2008, it cracked even the mid-size ceiling and was classed as a full-size car. Honda typically refreshes its cars midway through each model run and the eighth-generation Accord is no exception, undergoing a minor facelift for 2011. True to form, the end result is a car that's just a tiny bit bigger than the 2010 model.

The increased size comes courtesy <Read More>

   2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Road Test Review

Over the years, the minivan market has demonstrated a somewhat unpredictable dynamic. Until 1984, when Chrysler introduced

Honda's new Odyssey is as stylish as it is accommodating. (Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press)

the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager siblings, the segment was practically owned by Volkswagen, whose iconic "microbus" had pretty much invented the minivan concept, but was more closely associated with campers and hippie vans than family haulers.

The Caravan and Voyager immediately overtook Volkswagen as the minivan of choice thanks to their more car-like driving experience and lower, garage-friendly overall height. They were soon selling in numbers that inspired manufacturers around the world to rush their own versions of the people-carrier to market.

But even at the height of their popularity, minivans were encumbered by a dowdy image that manufacturers were constantly trying to shake with often-bizarre styling exercises - the futuristic, low-slung Pontiac Trans Sport, the jellybean-on-wheels Toyota Previa and the "I'm-not-a-minivan-I'm-an-SUV" Chevrolet Uplander all come to mind.

These days the lustre seems to be off the minivan market, and manufacturers that jumped onto the bandwagon during the segment's heyday are abandoning it in droves. Ford, GM and Hyundai have all stopped selling minivans, steering customers instead towards SUVs and CUVs. Chrysler and Volkswagen economized their minivan development <Read More>

   Honda announces end of Element production

Honda's Element was the first cubist-styled Japanese compact to enter the Canadian and U.S. markets, and therefore enjoyed

The Element has looked much the same since it originally shook up the scene 9 years ago. (Photo: Honda)

very little competition over its nine years of production. Now this fringe segment rivalry is fierce with new offerings from Nissan, Scion, Kia and others cutting into the Element's sales, but rather than hit back with a new version of its unorthodox box, Honda has decided to cancel its oddest offering altogether.

Why? Honda's answer is as strange as its decision. The company's U.S. division simply states that its customers prefer other models in the lineup such as the CR-V compact crossover.

"After a long life cycle, utility-seeking customers have more recently embraced other vehicles in the Honda lineup like the versatile and comfortable CR-V," stated a press release.

Marketing 101? <Read More>

   Honda's new minicar to take emerging markets by storm

Styling sells, a reality that Honda has learned all too well by producing hit after hit, as well as the odd bomb.

The

Honda might just have a major hit in its hands. (Photo: Honda)

production version of the New Small Concept introduced in New Delhi auto show earlier this year, should be a massive hit when available in emerging markets. It's good looking and at a speculated $10,000 price tag within reach of upwardly mobile Tata Nano drivers.

Honda has chosen the upcoming Thailand International Motor Expo to introduce its latest subcompact creation, a show that is becoming evermore popular for global launches.

The <Read More>

   2011 Honda CR-Z Road Test Review

The all-new CR-Z takes me back a couple of decades. First, it reminds me of the second-generation Civic-based CR-X coupe that

Honda hasn't hit the mark with all of its hybrids, but it gets the CR-Z spot on and, while a niche two-seat sport model, should enjoy success. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

debuted in 1988 and probably was responsible for pulling more tuner fans into Honda's camp than any other model, and secondly the first hybrid sold in North America, Honda's ultra-innovative first-generation Insight that arrived in the spring 1999.

The homage Honda paid to both designs is obvious in the CR-Z's trademark styling cues, especially at back where a steeply raked rear window is bisected by a lower window that adds style along with a superb view of the road behind. Beneath the glass and sheetmetal the CR-Z combines the sportiness of the CR-X with the fuel-efficiency of the Insight for one impressively equipped package that at $23,490 is about $6,500 less expensive than Honda's original hybrid was more than a decade ago. Don't you love how prices of high-ticket items drop in the electronics industry?

Ok, the CR-Z <Read More>

   Honda CR-Z wins 2010 Japan Car of the Year

Honda missed winning Japan's coveted Car of the Year award last year when Toyota's redesigned Prius narrowly beat its 2010 Insight

Japanese journalists chose the new 2011 Honda CR-Z as car of the year. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

hybrid, but such is not the case this year. Sixty-plus Japanese judges chose the all-new 2011 CR-Z hybrid as this year's winner of the 31-year-old contest, good news to Honda's president and CEO, Takanobu Ito.

"We are very proud that the CR-Z has been selected from the strong contenders of new models as the Car of the Year Japan 2010-2011," said Ito. "This award shows that the public has accepted Honda's aspiration to supply exceptional environmental performance in a fun-to-drive hybrid car at an affordable price, as well as Honda's desire to spread the joy of owning and driving a car. We also believe that this award for the CR-Z reflects the true value of the combined efforts of our business partners and the many others who supported CR-Z development and production. Going forward, Honda intends to bring more joy to an even larger number of customers."

Here <Read More>

   2010 Honda Fit Sport Road Test Review

Every so often I'll get a call from someone I haven't heard from in a long time, and after the usual pleasantries the real reason

The new fit looks sportier and edgier than the old model. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

for the happy reunion comes up, with the conversation going something like this: "Hey, I'm looking to buy a new car and I was wondering what you thought about the so-and-so…" after which I'm always happy to advise, and if the subject is subcompacts the Honda Fit is always on my shortlist.

I liked the old Fit a lot and since being completely updated for the 2009 model year I like the new one even more. First and foremost I think it's better looking. The outgoing car was cute, which is nice, but the new one has an edgier look that should appeal more to guys. The updated Fit also received a nicer interior with better materials and more features.

What was good about the old Fit remains, specifically its available five-speed automatic gearbox with optional paddle-shifters, standard four-wheel ABS with electronic brake force distribution, <Read More>