Honda debuts its slick new hybrid at the New York Auto Show
There's a new hybrid in town: Meet the all-new 2019 Insight, Honda's newest foray into electric cars.
Honda showed off a prototype of the hybrid sedan at at this year's Detroit Auto Show, but the final version made its global debut Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show. It looks pretty similar to the prototype, but with a slick (and great-smelling) interior to boot.
The vehicle will roll out in late 2018. There's no price yet, but it'll be set between the Civic (starting around $18,000) and the Accord (starting around $23,000).
As for performance, this car has plenty enough for the average driver. It has 153 horsepower and a two-motor hybrid system, meaning it draws from both an electric and combustion-based power source. As with other Honda hybrids with the two-motor system, you can drive in electric-only, gas-only, or blended gas and electric mode.
"The Honda Insight shows consumers that the efficiency of a hybrid car doesn't mean sacrificing style, refinement or performance," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of American Honda Motor. "The Insight is another symbol of a new era in the evolution of Honda electrified vehicles, where customers can have everything they want with no compromises."
The car itself comes in three trims: the basic LX, the fancier EX, and the flagship Touring. The LX has Bluetooth and Pandora compatibility, but the EX and Touring pack in all the tech you could want.
The EX features an 8-inch audio touchscreen, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Touring packs in 4G LTE mobile wifi, over-the-air updates, Honda's Satellite-Linked Navigation system with traffic updates, and Homelink Remote System which allows you to control everything from your your garage door and gate to your home security system and kitchen appliances from the comfort of the driver's seat.
It'll also help you along the road. The Insight is equipped with Honda Sensing, the company's safety system that feeds the driver collision warnings, lane departure warnings, and adaptive cruise control. EX and Touring will have a camera on the passenger-side mirror to help keep an eye on blind spots.
Honda announced its Honda Electrification Initiative in 2017, where it pledged to make two-thirds of its vehicles electrified by 2030. This is its fifth hybrid to date.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
