New 2019 Honda Insight is Here, and It is Stunning

The 2019 Honda Insight will offer at least 50 MPG, but the best aspect of this sleek prototype is that it doesn’t look like a Prius.

The 2019 Honda Insight Prototype made its debut this morning during the opening media day of the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit’s Cobo Hall. The mechanical details are extremely short and we didn’t get to see the interior, but the exterior design coupled with the promise of at least 50 miles-per-gallon are all that we need to get excited about this new Honda hybrid.

Not another Prius

The Toyota Prius is the best-selling hybrid in the world and since it was introduced, several automakers have attempted to mimic the Prius’ success by copying the exterior design. The wedge-shaped hatchback form worked out well for the Prius, so when the first and second generation of the Insight hybrid was introduced, Honda rolled out their own super-aerodynamic hatchbacks.

Unfortunately for Honda, neither of the previous cars to wear the Insight name sold very well and that may have played a part in the design of the 2019 Insight. Rather than another clunky five-door hatch, the new Insight is a traditional-looking four-door sedan with a bit of a fastback design, and it is gorgeous.

The Insight Prototype exterior

As you can see in the images here, the 2019 Honda Insight looks a great deal like a Civic or Accord sedan. Up front, the Insight has a sporty face with LED accent lighting, a chrome-trimmed grille and a heavy dose of gloss black trim.

Along the side, the Honda Insight Prototype has a slightly longer wheelbase than the Civic while being slightly smaller than the Accord. As a result, the Insight is labeled by the automaker as a premium compact and in addition to a touch of chrome around the windows, the Insight Prototype has a set of sporty blade-style wheels. Also, the new Insight has a long roofline that extends nearly to the rear of the car. There is a trunk lid, so this is not a hatchback, but rather a fastback sedan – sort of like a little Audi A7.

Out back, the new Honda hybrid has big LED taillights and a slightly higher trunk lid than the Accord. That area of the rear glass and the raised trunk lid might tip some people off to this being a hybrid, but in the long run, this sleek sedan is substantially more attractive than the wedge-shaped hybrid competitors.

1.5 Liters, 50 MPG

The Honda Insight on display at the Detroit Auto Show is a prototype, with the windows painted black so that we can’t see the interior (or lack there-of) and no real drivetrain details. We do know that it will be powered by a 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine that is promised to deliver at least 50 miles per gallon. This is a significant improvement from the 41 MPG rating of the previous Insight.

We don’t know what kind of power this engine will offer, but Honda representatives have stated that in most cases, the 1.5-liter engine will serve as more of a generator to charge the battery pack of the electric-drive system.

Full information on the 2019 Honda Insight will be available later this year, closer to when it is slated to hit dealerships around the country. The new hybrid will be built in Greensburg, Indiana, alongside the Civic and the CR-V.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com