National Press Release

More affordable five-passenger, five-door Honda hybrid to go on sale in the beginning of April 2009

DETROIT, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid car made its world debut today at the North American International Auto Show. Utilizing the latest generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist(TM) (IMA(R)) hybrid technology and new, more cost-efficient production methods, the 2010 Insight defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology, providing hybrid customers with a new level of affordability, fun-to-drive performance, and a U.S. EPA city/highway fuel-economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090111/LA57632 )

The 2010 Insight will be launched at Honda dealers throughout the United States in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced below the Civic Hybrid.

"Honda hybrids have always offered great value, high fuel efficiency and a healthy dose of fun near the middle price range in the Honda lineup," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "With the introduction of the all-new Insight, we're opening up Honda's fun-to-drive, versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid technology to an entirely new group of buyers that previously may not have considered a hybrid because of either image or cost."

Evoking the advanced and aerodynamic five-door sedan design first deployed on the revolutionary FCX Clarity fuel cell car, the new Insight has a low center of gravity and a spacious five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving experience and roomy, versatile interior space that customers have come to expect from Honda.

To help Insight owners realize the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, the Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)). Eco Assist combines multiple functions:

    --  A driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously
        variable automatic transmission (CVT), engine and related powertrain
        components to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency;
    --  a driver feedback function that uses an innovative speedometer display
        with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the
        driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency; and
    --  a unique fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic to
        provide feedback to the driver on current-trip driving efficiency and
        lifetime fuel-efficient driving performance.

All Insights are powered by an advanced 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT, along with a new generation of Honda's IMA hybrid system for exceptional fuel economy and fun-to-drive performance.

The Insight's IMA system incorporates a 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) - recapturing and storing kinetic energy from vehicle braking and deceleration and supplying additional power for acceleration when needed. Packaging of the ultra-compact IMA battery and IPU in the vehicle's rear floor allows the enhanced utility of a 60/40 split and fold-down rear seat back.

The Insight's IMA system has the capability to operate exclusively on electric power in certain low- to mid-speed driving conditions. It also provides for cylinder deactivation within the gasoline engine during deceleration and for engine shutoff when the vehicle is stopped. With a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range in excess of 400 miles.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Insight and other Honda vehicles, including the Civic Hybrid, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.