The Toyota Prius was the first modern hybrid car to hit the market in Japan in 1997 but the Honda Insight beat the Prius to the US market by a few months. The teardrop shaped two seat coupe had some initial success but the limited utility eventually saw its sales dwindle. Production of the Insight ended in the fall of 2006 although rumors of a successor have been running rampant since before that time.
Now Honda may have a solution to their problem in Canada of the Fit falling just shy of the requirements necessary to qualify for tax rebates under the new clean car program adopted by the government there. Honda has discussed de-contenting the Canadian model Fit to reduce weight enough to get the efficiency numbers up enough to qualify. Another alternative has now surfaced in the form of a Fit equipped with the Insight drivetrain. The Fit could get the 1.0L three cylinder engine with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system and boost mileage to mid 60mpg range for a price well under $20,000.
Whether it will happen is still an open question and it may well not since the current Fit is already well into its lifecycle. More likely is a scenario where the next generation Fit will get a hybrid option when it appears a couple of years from now.
[Source: HybridCars.com via AutoBlog]
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