January 12: Honda Insight: A Prius alternative?

Let's start off by checking out the hybrid competition. Back up just a minute, where is this hybrid stuff going? Ok, here's the scoop......Honda is bringing back the Insight. You may remember when they first used that name on a misbegotten little car.........

This strange two seater was one of the first hybrids (the first?). Apart from having a new form of motivation, this unusual little coupe also only sat two people. Great way to get acceptance. Market a sporty looking coupe to tree huggers, while most of the people who were looking for this sort of car wanted a VW GTI type of ride. Lesson learned, so the Insight had a short and unsuccessful life.

Meanwhile Toyota brought out the Prius........

A dumpy little compact car, that like the Insight only came one way, as a hybrid. But, and here is a big "but", it was a practical ride, seating four people as comfortably as any small car at the time. Kind of sold, but nothing spectacular as it wasn't really marketed.

Next step........

Now the Prius was hitting its stride. An unusual, but distinctive look, so everyone who saw it knew it was a hybrid. Toyota marketed this new car well, so over a short time, Prius became the "go to" car, if one wanted a hybrid and more importantly, when someone said hybrid, the buying public said Prius. The result? The Prius is so cemented in people's mind as THE hybrid, that all the other companies have introduced hybrids to mediocre success. When's the last time you saw an Accord, or an Altima or a Fusion hybrid? Sure, they are out there, but at no where near the volume that the Prius line (yes, now there are four distinct models) generates.

Back to the present day and Honda's big new announcement......they are bringing back the Insight to be revealed in the flesh at next week's Detroit auto show and this time, they think they have it right........

Billed as a 2019 and as an upscale compact, this Insight is geared to take the car world by storm (at least in Honda's eyes). Good looking and probably what the too busy Civic design should have been, but I believe to most folks this will be mistaken for a new Accord or Civic. Is this important? I wonder. I believe a lot of people get a Prius out of principle, saving the planet, etc and because of its design, everyone knows it.

So, in two years when someone says hybrid, will the answer be "maybe Honda" or will it be "definitely Prius"? Put my money on the latter. Any bets?

Until next time.......