In 1999, the Honda Insight became the first production hybrid car available in America. Twelve years later, it’s still making headlines as one of the most budget- and environmentally-friendly vehicles on the road.

For the new 2012 Insight, Honda is stepping up the game in fuel-economy and price point from last year’s model. Let’s skip to the new details:

1. Exterior: The outside look of the Insight didn’t change too much from last year. The front features a new grille, bumper and headlights; while the rear also has new bumpers and headlights. All while making the car more aerodynamic.

2. Interior: The most noticeable changes were made on the inside. On the front, Honda improved the rearward visibility and increased the cup holder size to fit large drinks. On the back, you will find a much more comfortable ride with increased legroom and a redesigned headliner shape which adds headroom space. As for the sound, the new Insight has increased sound-reducing materials so you can hear the pins drop in the back.

3. Fuel-Economy: The 2012 Insight offers a fuel-efficiency boost thanks to the improved aerodynamics and reduced friction in the engine; achieving 41mpg for city driving, 44mpg on the highway and a combined 42mpg.

4. Price point ($770 of shipping is not included):
            Base: $18,350
            LX: $20,125 (Add four-speaker audio system, USB audio interface, armrest console, floor mats, security system and map lights.)
            EX: $21,815 (Add alloy wheels, six-speaker audio system, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, heated side mirrors, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, automatic headlights, etc.)
            EX with navigation: $23,540 (Add rearview camera and 16GB flash card system to improve routing and FM weather updates)

Let’s quickly touch on “competition” subject.

You’ve probably seen the weird, creepy man-made-out-of-little-people ads for a certain family of hybrid vehicles (whose manufacturer couldn’t even figure out what the plural for the car was). While they’ve been bombarding us with marketing and PR since the car first got introduced, let’s focus on what really matters: price. The base Insight is about $5,000 less than the other’s base level; which means that for the base price of the other one, you could get an all powered-up EX with navigation! Talk about an incredible value proposition.

Now, the 2012 Honda Insight will be in Austin very soon. In the meantime, browse the Howdy Honda website and call to 512-443-4300 so you can meet your sales consultant and get most of the details out of the way before the Insight arrives

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