The Honda Civic-based Insight hybrid will be discontinued and replaced by a... Civic Hybrid. An announcement from Honda on Thursday confirms the Insight will end production in June, and a new Civic Hybrid will join the lineup "in the future."
While the current Insight was pretty much just a 10th-generation Civic with a hybrid powertrain and some styling tweaks, Honda says it will now "focus on increasing hybrid volume with core models." In other words, expect a compact hybrid sedan that looks exactly like the regular Civic, similar to what Honda offers with the CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid.
Speaking of which, new versions of those products are on the way. "Honda will introduce [an] all-new CR-V Hybrid this year," the company said, "followed by [an] Accord Hybrid."
Honda has lofty goals for its core hybrid models. The company expects the Accord and CR-V hybrids to "eventually make up 50% of the sales mix of each model." This is all part of the automaker's goal to have 40% of its North American sales to be battery electric or fuel-cell electric by 2030, increasing to 80% by 2035 and eventually 100% by 2040.
Honda Insight wows with impressive efficiency, premium trimmings
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- The Honda Insight will end production in June, wrapping up its third generation.
- The Insight will be replaced by the similar but more recognizable Honda Civic Hybrid.
- Honda plans to expand its hybrid and battery-electric lineup with the ultimate goal of 100% zero-emissions sales in North America by 2040.
As one of the first hybrid vehicles, Honda launched its Insight in 1999, with awkward-looking skirts partially covering the rear wheels for better aerodynamics. While it didn’t share the same cultural success as Toyota’s Prius, it sold well enough to command three generations with a small break between the previous and most recent iteration.
Now comes some bad news for Insight fans: it’s dead. Honda is wrapping up the Insight’s production at its Indiana factory this June, leaving a hole in the company’s lineup.
Fortunately for hybrid fans, Honda plans to replace the Civic-based Insight with a more recognizable Civic Hybrid. Considering that Honda revived the Insight on the 10th-generation Civic platform, it makes sense that its production would wrap up with the 11th-generation Civic currently on dealer lots.
Late in its production run, the Insight certainly was a slow seller in the Honda portfolio. From 2018 to 2021, Honda moved a mere 70,000 Insights. Those numbers pale in comparison to Honda’s much more notable Civic nameplate. For context, Honda sold 264,000 Civics in the U.S. in 2021, making it America's most-popular small car, according to Wards Intelligence data.
Honda hasn’t mentioned when the Civic Hybrid will replace the outgoing Insight but promises it is coming. Stay tuned for details about the Civic Hybrid as its launch approaches.
Do you think the Honda Civic Hybrid will be more successful than the outgoing Insight? Let us know your thoughts below.
Wesley Wren Wesley Wren has spent his entire life around cars, whether it’s dressing up as his father’s 1954 Ford for Halloween as a child, repairing cars in college or collecting frustrating pieces of history—and most things in between.
Steve Lagreca/Shutterstock The Honda Insight has been axed just three years after it was re-introduced. Honda will replace the Insight with the latest Civic Hybrid, effectively
flip-flopping the move the Japanese company made in 2018. The two cars already have much in common under the skin as the Insight is built on the Civic platform. However, the Insight has a longer wheelbase and more upmarket looks than the 10th-generation Civic Hybrid on which it is based — and a more upmarket price to match. When
we reviewed the Honda Insight, we noted that it stood out as an "anti-Prius" with a style that made it look more approachable to buyers that were keen to try a hybrid vehicle but didn't want anything that called attention to the fact. The Insight is only sold in select markets, however, with Honda now deciding to switch to an all-Civic hybrid lineup globally for the compact hybrid segment.
The 2022 Civic e:HEV
Honda
Honda launched the 11th generation of the Civic in Europe last month. The car features the company's e:HEV hybrid technology — now the standard drivetrain for Civic lineup. Honda said it uses a new 72-cell lithium-ion battery that is mated to two electric motors which work in conjunction with a new 2.0-liter direct-injection, Atkinson-cycle internal combustion engine (ICE).
The next-generation Civic e:HEV also features a 35mm longer wheelbase, which would put it into similar territory as the current Honda Insight. This new model has a brand new tailgate made of resin, a first for the Honda Civic line. Using new manufacturing techniques, Honda says it has managed to trim 20% off the weight of the tailgate, making it easier to open and close.
Honda's EV plans
Honda
With the production of the Honda Insight in Indiana ending, Honda says that it is focusing on increasing its production of hybrid core model vehicles. As such, the company will be introducing an all-new CR-V Hybrid in 2022 with plans to then add a new Accord Hybrid to its range. The company expects that two new hybrid models will eventually make up 50% of the sales mix for each product line and will also be the most feature-rich, helping to induce sales.
Honda's new hybrid models are an interim step with Honda targeting 40% of its sales in North America to be EVs by 2030 — by this time, it is aiming to have 30 models in its global EV range. Based on its current timeline, Honda says that 100% of its North American sales will be EVs by 2040. Its first volume all-electric model for the North American market will be the 2024 Honda Prologue SUV, which it is currently co-developing with GM using the Ultium platform.