The Honda Insight nameplate has been revived for a fourth generation, and for the first time it has been applied to an electric vehicle (EV).
Revealed for Japan, where it’ll be launched between now and the end of May, the born-again Insight appears to be based heavily on the e:NS2 that Honda developed for the Chinese market.
It’s being marketed as a crossover SUV, though as the lines continue to blur between passenger cars and SUVs, it looks more like a high-riding hatchback.
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“There are no current plans to bring the Insight into Australia,” said a spokesperson for Honda Australia.
Dimensions haven’t been released but we don’t expect them to change much from the e:NS2, which measures 4788mm long, 1838mm wide and 1570mm tall on a 2735mm wheelbase. That makes it only 5mm shorter than a Tesla Model Y, albeit on a 155mm shorter wheelbase; it’s also 144mm narrower and 54mm lower.
Honda in Japan has released little in the way of specifications, apart from confirming it has over 500km of electric range on the WLTC cycle.
The e:NS2 features a 68.8kWh ternary lithium-ion battery sourced from CATL, which powers a single, front-mounted 150kW/310Nm electric motor.
It uses the e:N Architecture F, shared with other Chinese-market Honda EVs.
Inside, the Insight can be had with either a black or white colour scheme, and features a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 9.4-inch digital instrument cluster.
Available equipment includes a head-up display, leather upholstery, a heated and leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, ambient lighting, a digital rear-view mirror, 12-speaker Bose sound system, and a hands-free power tailgate.
There are also eight-way power-adjustable driver and four-way power-adjustable passenger seats with heating and ventilation, plus a full suite of active safety and driver assist technology.
The Insight also features vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing you to power small electrical appliances.
Honda is also boasting it’ll be its first vehicle in the Japanese market with an aroma diffuser, with a choice of six scents. An intelligent heating system also automatically detects whether rear-seat occupants are present and features an Auto mode intended to optimise air-conditioning output and power consumption.
The new Insight will sit at the top of Honda’s EV lineup in Japan, which also includes the tiny N-Van e, N-One e and Super-One hatch. The latter has been confirmed for Australian release this year.
The e:NS2 it’s based on is one of a range of EVs developed for the Chinese market, which also includes the similarly sized P7 and S7 that entered production last year – just a year after the e:NS2 and its e:NP2 twin.
Honda currently exports the e:NS1 and e:NP1 twins – which closely resemble the HR-V sold here – from China to markets like Europe and New Zealand.
The new Insight represents the fourth use of the name, which debuted in 1999 on Honda’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle.
This quirky two-door coupe was produced until 2006 before it was discontinued. The Insight nameplate was dusted off in 2009 for a five-door hybrid hatchback similar in style to the Toyota Prius, before this was axed in 2014.
After another gap, the name was revived in 2018 for a four-door hybrid sedan based on the Civic, developed primarily for Japan and North America. This was the only generation of Insight not sold here, and exited production in 2022.