The competition for hybrid cars has just got a bit hotter with the release of the new Honda Insight, this latest hybrid is the cheapest on the market and has exceptional green credentials. Without doubt the Honda Insight will take some of the current market share away from the Toyota Prius, the reason for this is likely to be the price tag. The saving on buying an Insight is around £2,500, added to that the excellent fuel consumption of around about 64 mpg and the extremely low road tax at £15 per year then the Insight is almost selling itself.
The Honda Insight will also teach the driver how to make the most of the cars energy efficiency by giving helpful indicators when a driving style is good or when it is bad for the environment. Driving in Econ mode will allow for improved fuel consumption, a green light behind the speedometer will instantly inform the driver if they are driving in an environmentally manner, however as soon as the driver adopts a more aggressive driving style and being heavy footed on the accelerator or braking more harshly then the speedometer glows a violet blue colour. In addition to the clever light show to let the driver know if they are driving well there is also a display panel that has images of trees, and whilst driving during the course of your journey in a sufficiently green manner then the trees will retain their leaves if the driver is driving badly with a lack of attention to fuel economy and heavy braking etc then the leaves will gradually diminish. So if at the end of your journey it looks like autumn on the display panel then you will know instantly that you have been driving like a complete numpty! Clearly this new eco car is not going to be up everyone’s street, if you are a lover of fast cars with lots of engine noise then this is clearly not the car for you.
