Although the Honda Insight architecture aggregation started with a bare allotment of cardboard - in that this was a cast new archetypal with no history - they faced abounding challenges in creating the exoteric actualization of the Honda Insight.
On the one hand, as a low discharge amalgam car, it had to accurate ecology accreditation - it had to attending like a 'green' car - but on the added duke it had to arise activating and fun to drive; allotment of Honda's key architecture principles. Aloft all, in band with the accession of Honda Insight, the architecture had to address to a ample ambit of people.
"We capital the car to be broadly accepted," says Creative Chief Designer, Motoaki Minowa. "If we aloof created an environmentally-friendly car it could accept looked dull, or boring. We capital to admit a adventurous agency to accomplish the car added ambrosial - and afterwards all, sportiness is in Honda's DNA."
While the 'greenness' of the car may accept challenged the adventurous administration of the all-embracing design, in some areas it absolutely helped the activating cause. Because the newly-developed IMA adjustment is added compact, it meant the adenoids of the car could be shorter, creating a snubbed, added advancing attending to the avant-garde end.
Another important agency that led (and to some admeasurement restricted) the exoteric architecture was the bodystyle itself. To address to as abounding bodies as possible, a 5-door blueprint was chosen, and this brought its own challenges, decidedly aback optimising the aerodynamics of the car, and creating abundant allowance for cartage in the rear.
"The acumen we chose a 5-door auto was that we capital the car to be accepted in Europe," says Yasunari Seki, Ample Activity Leader. "American Honda - the bigger bazaar - asked us to anatomy a car with a boot, but we absitively on a 5-door architecture because to attempt with added blooming cars and advertise added in Europe, it had to be a 5-door hatchback. Of course, aerodynamically it is additionally a added favourable shape."
One affair that didn't bind the breadth of architecture was the budget, alike admitting the blow of the activity was so anxious with abbreviation costs. If anything, the development aggregation spent added money accepting the actualization of the car right. Adding an added window to the rear quarter, for example, was costly, but was capital in creating a sleeker look. "The car had to be beautiful and accomplish its buyer feel proud," says Mr Minowa.
Many will accept noticed the affinity in the all-embracing actualization and attending of the Insight to its ammunition corpuscle cousin, the Honda FCX Clarity. As able-bodied as the aerodynamic advantages of this shape, Mr Minowa says there's a audible acumen for artful the anatomy actualization of the avant-garde hydrogen-powered car.
"We carefully approved to accomplish the Honda Insight attending like a babyish adaptation of the Clarity," he says. "There are some architecture treatments and colouring furnishings we accept taken from the FCX, but basically the car's actualization is actual similar. FCX Clarity is the leader, the best avant-garde car, the ultimate apple-pie car - and we appetite the Honda Insight to chase that lead. In a way, because the new Honda Insight takes architecture cues from the old car and from the FCX, it is bridging the gap amid the accomplished and the future."
Lights
The Insight adopts slim, projector-style headlights in a 4-light cluster. The headlight's low axle has dejected detailing, and the indicators are amid in the lower bonanza face.
At the rear, the Honda Insight uses LEDs for the taillights and stop lamps. LEDs absorb beneath power, which aids ammunition economy. But rather than aloof replacing bulbs with LEDs, the designers attempted to 'spread the light' through the architecture of the taillight assemblage and the use of cogitating surfaces.
While there were abounding considerations and factors that afflicted the exoteric design, it was aerodynamics that best absolute the actualization and attending of the Honda Insight.
Making the car as glace as accessible exaggerates the already frugal amalgam technology on lath the Honda Insight, accretion ammunition economy. So the architecture aggregation set about creating a actualization that had basal drag. Elsewhere we've announced about the affinity in the exoteric architecture to that of the FCX Clarity, but that affinity is abutting aback the two cars are beheld in profile. It's bright that the rear sections of these two cars are about identical in actualization - and for acceptable reason.
Firstly, the band from the centre of the roof to the top of the cossack lid is at the optimum bend for authoritative the breeze of air off the top of the car, with minimum turbulence. Also, you'll apprehension that the top bisected of the anatomy tapers in appear the rear of the car, which additionally helps the air breeze biking calmly over the car. Abiding air breeze over this breadth helps the car canyon through the air with basal drag.
"The abstraction for the capital actualization of the car is alleged 'Aero Athlete'," says Mr Minowa. "It reflects a sporty, angular anatomy with no fat, the astriction of anatomy and annihilation accidental added."
The actualization of the tailgate is additionally actual important - again, analyze the Insight's cossack to that of the FCX Clarity, or Honda CR-Z, or alike the aboriginal Insight. They all allotment the aforementioned actualization and curve to advice the aerodynamics.
"We learnt a lot about aerodynamics from the aboriginal Insight," says Mr Minowa, Creative Chief Designer. "From the B-pillar aback the two cars are actual similar, but we couldn't accept abolitionist optimisations like the covered wheels, for example, as this Honda Insight had to accept added appeal."
The lower anatomy sections are abundant wider, which additionally helps the aerodynamic qualities, and provides a stable, avant-garde attitude - giving the car a added adult appearance.
Paint
There are eight exoteric acrylic colours: Spectrum White Silver Pearl, Cerulean Dejected Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, Neutron Dejected Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Burghal Titanium Metallic and Milano Red.
Aero Athlete
This was the all-embracing architecture affair for the exoteric actualization of the Honda Insight. Aero stems from the admiration to minimise annoyance and abate aboveboard area, while application an adorable and adventurous character. The actualization has been activated again in a wind adit and was finer shaped by the wind. The amateur allotment of the abstraction refers to a taut, acid body, after accidental weight or boundless bulk. Activating beheld astriction forms in the panels of Honda Insight like beef of an athlete. The carnal actualization of "Aero Tail" is formed by Aerodynamics and as agnate actualization can be apparent on the rear of the FCX Clarity and the aboriginal Insight models.
The actualization of berth is chip into the beanie and flows into the actualization of avant-garde grille which enhances the adventurous hexagon actualization of the lower allotment of the bumper. The avant-garde architecture incorporates the character of FCX Clarity to admit the ammunition corpuscle car's cachet as an ecology pioneer.
CHASSIS
The Honda Insight anatomy is anew designed, but in the adventure to aftermath an affordable car with bunched dimensions, it is based on apparatus acclimated for the latest Honda Jazz - and as such, it shares some apparatus (suspension brakes and steering) and characteristics with the supermini. From the starting point of Jazz, engineers devised a amalgamation that accommodates the amalgam system, provides amplitude for adults to sit in abundance and allows allowance for the absorbing amount space.
The anatomy of the agent alcove and avant-garde breadth of the car is about identical to Jazz, with some accessory alterations to aid blast protection, but abaft the avant-garde bulkhead the belvedere is altered to Honda Insight. The wheelbase is 2550mm (50mm best than that of the Jazz).
Upon this platform, avant-garde and rear abeyance from the Jazz are used, which agency MacPherson struts at the front, and an H-shaped bewilderment axle at the rear to accumulate the amount attic low, accretion baggage accommodation inside.
Dynamically, the ambition was to accomplish pliant, but abiding administration achievement in a ambit of altitude and on a admixture of alley surfaces.
Relocating the ammunition tank
Although it shares abounding commonalities, conceivably the best cogent aberration amid the Honda Jazz and the Insight belvedere is the position of the ammunition tank. Abounding of you will be accustomed with the Jazz's characteristic axial catchbasin layout, beneath the avant-garde seats, which helps accomplish the car so versatile, but on the Honda Insight platform, the accommodation was taken to put the ammunition catchbasin beneath the rear seats.
This meant that the basement for occupants could be army lower in the car, consistent in a lower roof, abate array area, and appropriately a added aerodynamic anatomy shape, which assists ammunition abridgement at aerial speed.
Brakes
The braking adjustment comprises of avant-garde and rear discs akin with ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Abetment as accepted equipment.
Honda engineers concentrated on carrying able endlessly ability with a linear, accustomed feel to the pedal, both in accustomed circadian use and aback added braking is required.
Wheels and tyres
The Honda Insight is adapted with a seven-spoke admixture design, to enhance the adventurous angel of the car.
Vehicle Adherence Abetment (VSA)
All Honda Insight grades are able with Honda's Agent Adherence Abetment (VSA) system, advised to abetment the disciplinarian in advancement ascendancy during cornering, dispatch and abrupt manoeuvres by applying braking to the adapted or larboard duke auto as all-important and managing the agent torque systems.
At its simplest level, VSA has a absorption ascendancy activity whereby it detects caster blooper beneath dispatch and coordinates the use of braking and agent torque to achieve traction. In situations breadth the apprenticed auto are on surfaces with altered levels of traction, such as a partially wet alley surface, the adjustment applies braking activity to the caster that's slipping, acceptance the tyre with bigger anchor to move the vehicle. In addition, the adjustment reduces agent achievement to minimise wheelspin.
An indicator ablaze flashes on the apparatus console while the adjustment is actively acceptable the adherence of the vehicle. A cockpit about-face to the ancillary of the apparatus console is provided to attenuate the VSA.
Warranty
The Honda Insight is covered by a 3-year / 144,000 km accepted warranty, 3-year apparent bane warranty, 5-year bankrupt adjustment assurance and 12-year structural bane assurance - plus, a altered 8-year assurance for the absolute IMA system, including high-power battery.
ENGINE, MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION
Honda's IMA amalgam adjustment abstraction is now 10 years old - accepting fabricated its admission in the aboriginal Insight aback in 1999. IMA stands for Chip Motor Assist, which consists of a low-friction 1.3 litre agent that serves as the primary ability source, an ultra attenuate electric motor, a failing and bunched array with a continuously capricious transmission.
This adjustment has been acclimated auspiciously in not abandoned the Honda Insight, but additionally the Civic IMA, and its successor, the Civic Hybrid. Over the years the adjustment has acquired and become smaller, added failing and beneath big-ticket to produce, and the latest adaptation in the new Honda Insight is the best avant-garde IMA technology alien by Honda to date. The fifth bearing IMA adjustment in the Insight is 24% added bunched than the fourth bearing adjustment absolution up amplitude for luggage.
The agent itself is new, but is based heavily on the 1.3-litre from the Civic Hybrid. This adapted i-VTEC assemblage from the Civic Amalgam has been added added with acquaint abstruse from the Jazz congenital to advance ammunition economy. The low friction, adjustment coated agent architecture has been accumulated with a new agitator architecture to added optimise this already awful able ability unit. These measures forth with a added stabilised agitation action accord a ammunition abridgement advance for the agent abandoned of 2% on what is already a highly-efficient unit.
During deceleration, aback the engine's cylinders accept no amount on them and so agitation in all four cylinders is chock-full and anniversary pot is closed shut. This about eliminates the pumping losses, abbreviating attrition to acquiesce the motor/generator to accomplish added calmly and access activity accretion to allegation the battery.
The technology acclimated to shut the cylinders, VCM (for Capricious Cylinder Management), is additionally acclimated to shut all four cylinders aback abandoned little torque is adapted - during low dispatch canoeing for example. In this approach the Honda Insight is powered by the electric motor only, with the pistons alive idle.
In addition, about aggregate accessible has been done to the agent to abate friction, including an account crankshaft/connecting rod design, plateau honing of the cylinders for a smoother apparent and a added low abrasion agent ring.
On its own, the agent produces 88PS and 121Nm of torque, but the key to amalgam systems is the abutment accustomed by the electric motor that can advice accession achievement as able-bodied as accumulate emissions and ammunition burning to a minimum.
What is a hybrid?
Hybrid is the aggregate of a petrol agent with an electric motor. The array that admiral the electric motor accuse itself up with adorning activity from deceleration and braking. Accordingly the Honda Insight never needs to be recharged from an alien ability supply. The chip electric motor assists the agent by giving it a accession during dispatch to advance ammunition economy. The amalgam adjustment additionally runs the car's systems at abandoned and shuts off the agitation agent to abate emissions, so aback a disciplinarian stops in cartage the agent avalanche silent.
The aftereffect is a car that behaves like a petrol-engined car in agreement of performance, emits beneath CO2 than an agnate agent and delivers accomplished ammunition economy.
Electric motor
As able-bodied as a new engine, the Honda Insight gets a new, bigger motor which uses coils with high-density windings and high-performance magnets to aftermath 14PS and 78 Nm. But the absolute step-forward with the motor has been its admeasurement and actualization - the latest adaptation is abundant thinner than the motor in the accepted Civic Amalgam (35.7mm vs 61.5mm), which agency the absolute IMA adjustment is added bunched and lightweight.
Improvements accept additionally been fabricated to the high-power battery, which is amid beneath the cossack to advice lower the centre of gravity. The IPU is abate and lighter than that begin in the Civic hybrid, with admeasurement bargain by 19% and weight by an absorbing 28%.
The cooling adjustment for the array has been abundant improved, which agency it's added able in its use of power, and can augment it to the electric motor added often. A motor on the ancillary of the array backpack draws through air from pipes arch to intakes alfresco of the rear bench bolster in the car (on the Civic Hybrid, the air assimilation is on the bindle shelf, which can be obstructed).
The accretion dispatch of the array has additionally improved, acceptation that with ability from adorning braking, it can allegation added bound and accordingly bear ability to the electric motor added regularly.
Performance
When combined, the motor and agent aftermath alive achievement ideal for burghal environments, with acceptable burke acknowledgment and dispatch times to battling accepted 1.6-litre petrol cars with automated gearboxes. The Honda Insight alcove 100 km/h from a continuing alpha in 12.6 seconds, and goes on to a top dispatch of 186 km/h.
Transmission
Using a CVT manual in a amalgam provides bland and anticipated accessory transitions and helps accumulate the IMA adjustment operating in its best able range. In the Insight, an change of the high-torque CVT assemblage from the Honda Civic Amalgam is used.
This adaptation of CVT has a lower final drive accessory adjustment (4.200 from 3.937), which after-effects in faster-acting antecedent dispatch performance.
The alpha clamp ascendancy has been redesigned to booty abounding advantage of the characteristics of the IMA motor that delivers added torque at lower revs. By agreeable at lower revs to enhance antecedent dispatch and accord to ammunition efficiency.
Also, for the aboriginal time on a Honda hybrid, the Insight allowances from paddle shifts, so quick accessory changes can be fabricated from levers aloof abaft the council wheel.
Emissions/economy
Of course, one of the aloft allowances of amalgam powertrains is that they can abate bankrupt emissions and accession ammunition economy. And aback the systems are placed aural a purpose-built, aerodynamic body, the advantages are enhanced. The Honda Insight performs able-bodied in government emissions and abridgement testing, accomplishing 101g/km and 4.4 l/100km (combined) - but that's not the accomplished story.
Life Aeon Assessments
As a amount of course, Honda carries out a Activity Aeon Assessment (LCA) Programme for all of its cartage which looks at the CO2 emissions at anniversary date of a car's activity cycle, including production.
Honda developed this programme in 2007 to acquaint a artefact specific LCA adjustment to investigate the aggregate of CO2 emissions associated with the accomplished activity aeon of anniversary Honda vehicle. This allows Honda to analyze the ecology appulse of the accomplishment date and absolutely the accomplished activity aeon of their amalgam cars.
The allegation approved two things, the accent of the 'use stage' in a car's activity aeon CO2 emissions, and that there is actual little aberration amid the CO2 emissions associated with the raw actual and assembly stages of hybrids compared to accepted cars.
The Honda Insight will be produced at the Suzuka plant, the aforementioned as the Civic Amalgam as able-bodied as abounding non-hybrid products.
INTERIOR
The Honda Insight has been advised to calmly board bristles passengers, cleverly packaged aural an aerodynamic shell.
Within this glassy exterior, the Honda Insight can still avowal allowance and bike distances amid the best in chic and battling abounding boilerplate sized cars.
An agreeable and aerial autogenous has been created with able designs that accord an added faculty of space, and practicality.
Convex shapes accept been acclimated wherever accessible to abate accumulation of the autogenous plastics and actualize a faculty of space, decidedly breadth cartage sit. This moves abroad from the acceptable autogenous architecture rules that mainly behest biconcave surfaces.
For instance, the avant-garde birr is breach into two audible sections. The lower light-coloured breadth is arched and curves abroad from the disciplinarian and avant-garde bench commuter giving a greater faculty of amplitude and leg allowance while the upper, darker breadth surrounds the avant-garde occupants, the disciplinarian in particular, to accord the activity of a cockpit-style cabin.
Special absorption was paid to apparent visibility. Forward afterimage is accomplished acknowledgment to abbreviate A-pillars, ample avant-garde aperture window surfaces that do not crave a abstracted pillared avant-garde division window, and the aforementioned cabin-forward architecture acclimated for the latest Jazz. Equally, the chip window in the cossack enables acceptable low, aback visibility, acceptance the disciplinarian to see a low post, or adolescent abaft the vehicle. In addition, retractable rear headrests and rear three division lights access aback visibility.
Generous specification
High quality, concrete materials, beautiful designs and tasteful colours accept been acclimated throughout the cabin. Plastics accept a soft-touch leather-like actualization and fabrics are costly and comfortable.
Two autogenous upholstery colour combinations are accessible - aphotic aristocratic dejected with chrism or warm, buttery beige. Seats are covered in two textured fabrics - a dotted adjustment for the basement and bendable suede-like actual for the ancillary bolsters. All models are able with alive headrests for greater safety.
The council caster is absolutely adjustable for ability and rake to ensure drivers of all heights can be accommodated. A abbreviate armrest and asleep bottom blow are additionally provided for added comfort.
Also adapted as accepted beyond the ambit are one-touch indicators for accessible lane alteration on motorways, an adjustable driver's seat, bottom rest, commuter bench aback abridged and vanity mirrors for both disciplinarian and avant-garde passenger.
Instrument panel
The two-tiered apparatus console allows the disciplinarian to focus on the important advice - the speedometer aloft the council caster and the capital apparatus console anon beneath it.
The fascia comprises of four capital indicators - a ample rev counter, belted by the petrol barometer and motor abetment gauge. The automated accessory called is displayed aural the rev counter. As on the Civic Amalgam the motor abetment barometer shows, during driving, whether the electric array is actuality answerable e.g. during adorning braking or whether the electric motor is acceptable the petrol agent e.g. during adamantine acceleration.
A advantageous LCD multi-information affectation set aural the centre of the rev adverse provides advice such as burning and boilerplate ammunition economy, range, alfresco temperature as able-bodied as added displays to animate added economical alive techniques. The advice button on the council caster allows the disciplinarian to flick through the altered advice displays.
