Our Fleet Test Drive: Honda Insight - 2nd Report
Date:
16 April 2010
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Author: Tony Rock
In London
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Category: | Lower medium | P11D price: | £19,233 | Key rival: | Toyota Prius | |
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In January, crash safety assessors Euro NCAP named its top five cars tested in 2009.
Second on the list, which shows how the cars performed for overall crash protection, was the Insight, behind the VW Golf and ahead of hybrid rival the Toyota Prius. Clearly, then, the Insight is an extremely safe vehicle.
However, there is an initial perception - voiced by one other driver and a few early passengers, and no doubt the result of the weight-saving measures such as the removal of sound-deadening, which has led to the car being described as "tinny" - that it doesn't 'feel' safe.
It's a view at odds with the hard proof, but it's an interesting emotional response worth highlighting.
Honda Insight 1.3 IMA ES-T Hybrid CVT | Mileage | 3003 | Claimed combined consumption | 61.4mpg | Our average consumption | 42.4mpg | P11D price | £19,233 | Model price range | £16,225-£19,290 | CO2 (tax) | 105g/km (10%) | BIK 20/40% per month | £32/£64 | Service interval | 1yr/12,500mls | Insurance | group 6e | Warranty | 3yrs/90,000mls | Boot space (min/max) | 408/584 litres | Engine size/power | 1339cc/102hp | Top speed/0-62mph | 113mph/12.5secs | Why we’re running it | Can Insight can match Honda’s high expectations? | Positive | Congestion charge exemption | Negative | View through rear windscreen |
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