2012 Honda Insight Plymouth

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For 2012 the most noticeable change is a restyled front end with updated headlights, a different grille with a blue accent bar and a revised front bumper. The rear bumper and taillights also have been tweaked. The cabin of the '12 Insight also gets some changed. The backseat area has been reworked for additional leg and headroom, according to Honda, and the gauge cluster's appearance has been updated. The Insight is powered by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system, which is a combination of a 1.3-liter gas engine and a 13-hp electric motor, all attached to a continuously variable transmission.  Safety features include front, side-impact and curtain airbags, antilock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist; tire pressure monitoring system; and rear seat child safety seat anchors (LATCH). Only the EX gets electronic vehicle stability assist, which includes traction control.

Lineup of the 2012 Insight

The base trim offers six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability and traction control, automatic climate control, power windows, locks and mirrors, keyless entry and a two-speaker CD audio system with an auxiliary input.

The LX trim adds floor mats, cruise control with steering wheel controls, a security system and a four-speaker CD audio system with USB interface.

The EX trim adds alloy wheels, a six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use, heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. A voice activated navigation system with FM traffic and a rearview camera is available on the EX trim.

2012 Honda Insight Exterior

The '12 Insight gets a most restyled front end with updated headlights, a different grille with a blue accent bar and a revised front bumper. The rear bumper and taillights also have been tweaked. The rear aspects hews the closest to the original Insight's super-aero styling, showing lines that, if extended, would taper to a pointed terminus some 10 feet or 12 feet behind the mostly vertical rear fascia. A single, almost demure exhaust tip peeks out from beneath the right side. Smallish, triangular taillight housings tuck into the upper corners of the rear fenders.

Handling of the '12 Insight

The 2012 Insight uses an electric motor to assist in acceleration and to recharge the battery pack when braking or coasting. Transitions between power sources are markedly smooth. The motor can't move the car solely on electricity, unlike the Prius, but it restarts the engine after stops, adds torque to complement that of the engine, and acts as a generator to recharge the battery pack when the car brakes. All models are powered by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system, which is a combination of a 1.3-liter gas engine and a 13-hp electric motor, all attached to a continuously variable transmission.

New Honda Insight Cabin

Inside the Insight has been reworked. The cupholders in the center console can hold larger drinks, and there's also new seat fabric for LX models. The lower rear window offers better views, and the cabin is quieter thanks to additional sound insulation, according to Honda.   Audio controls are ergonomically positioned and proportioned, except for the on/off button, that is, which is seriously undersized and placed way up in the left corner of the control panel, about as far away as possible from the volume knob, which is the logical location. The air conditioning controls are uniquely consolidated in a circular array below and to the left of the audio panel.

Conclusions

The Insight comes in one configuration: a four-door, five-passenger sedan. One powertrain is available: a combination of a 1.3-liter, 88-horsepower, inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and a 10-kilowatt, 13-hp, brushless, DC motor. Power goes only to the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). In the top two of the three models offered, steering wheel-mounted shift paddles manage a computer-generated seven-speed, simulated-manual gearbox. The base model uses a standard CVT that's efficient and highly competent. For more on this model visit the official Honda Insight website!