2011 Honda Insight Malaysia Reviews & Ratings, Expert Car Reviews on LIVE LIFE DRIVE

The cheapest hybrid on sale in Malaysia, the 2011 Honda Insight is designed to be an affordable hybrid car catered towards a mass audience. Being RM 40K cheaper than the more advanced Toyota Prius, the 2011 Honda Insight does offer value-for-money if the environment is high on your agenda. But for the rest of us, the RM 100K price tag can buy you conventional cars with many less critical shortcomings.

2011 Honda Insight quick specs

Body Style	Hatchback
Class	Small Family
Assembled	-

Engine Range	-
Fuel Options	-
Seating Capacity	5

2011 Honda Insight ratings (overall rating : 4/5.0)

Styling
Handling
Comfort
Quality + Reliability
Performance

Roominess
Running Costs
Value for Money
Equipment
Environment

Styling

Toyota Prius owners could be feeling aggrieved at how the cheaper Honda Insight looks so similar in profile. The similarity cannot be ignored for sure, though Honda had little choice but to arrive at the more aerodynamically efficient hatchback body style over a sedan's. And to ensure that the hatchback shape cuts through air resistance as cleanly as possible, the elongated roofline with a steep cutoff towards the rear provides the lowest possible drag coefficient. Indeed, the 2011 Honda Insight's drag coefficient stands at just 0.28, slighter higher than its Toyota counterpart's at 0.26.

Handling

The 2011 Honda Insight is easy to drive, thanks to a light, accurate steering and surprising agility for a car designed to maximise fuel economy. But given the Honda Insight's sharp reactions to small steering inputs, the virtual lack of steering feel does not inspire much confidence. Up the pace, and the 2011 Honda Insight's dynamic limitations show up. The body control is not nearly as good as the best hatchbacks', and the low-rolling-resistance tyres do not supply enough grip to encourage enthusiastic driving.

Comfort

The ride quality is fine on smooth surfaces, but be prepared for a fidgety, crashy ride over potholes and bumps that is often accompanied by suspension noise. Wind noise is a non-issue at highway speeds, but tyre roar is. The powertrain further disrupts the peace upon hard acceleration. The cabin is reassuringly familiar to the Honda Civic's, with a low-slung driving position, ample steering and seating adjustments, a nice-to-hold steering wheel, and comfortable, supportive seats. Ergonomics are near-perfect, except that the steering wheel could obstruct the view of the futuristic digital speedometer for some drivers, and that the split rear window hinders the rear view out.

Quality + Reliability

The 2011 Honda Insight's cabin quality is in-line with its positioning as an entry-level hybrid car. That is to say that neither the build quality nor the cabin material represents the best we have seen from Honda. The interior fit-and-finish cannot be faulted at this price level, but the plastics used, most of which are hard to the touch, leave room for improvement. Honda's reputation and track record for reliability is second to none. The underlying platform is borrowed from the Honda Jazz, and the hybrid powertrain from the Honda Civic Hybrid. We only hope that the battery can last the lifetime of the Honda Insight as intended.

Performance

The 2011 Honda Insight uses the same hybrid powertrain as the Honda Civic Hybrid, consisting of an 88 hp, 121 Nm 1.3-litre i-VTEC engine mated to a CVT and the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, which pairs a 14 hp, 78 Nm electric motor to Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries and a new Intelligent Power Unit. Unlike the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, Honda's IMA system is less complex, differentiated by a permanent connection between the petrol engine and transmission, meaning that the engine is never completely disconnected as long as the wheels are turning. On the roads, the 2011 Honda Insight feels as rapid as the Toyota Prius when pushed hard—at the expense of refinement. But drivable and effortless it is not, as getting up to highway speeds and overtaking feel laboured. At low speeds, the CVT is jerky in operation, and there is a noticeable lag waiting for the engine to restart when moving off from a complete stop.

Roominess

The 2011 Honda Insight matches the Toyota Prius for space, to little surprise since the profile and dimensions of the two hybrid cars are so similar. The driver and front passenger sit in comfort with no compromises to head- or leg-room. The back can take three passengers at a squeeze, just like in other B-segment cars. Rear legroom is only average, though the rear floor is flat, and the rear headroom is tight for taller passengers. The 400-litre boot is shallow but wide, and the 60/40 split-folding rear seats go down to provide a 584-litre flat loading space.

Running Costs

You can hit and even exceed the official fuel economy of 21.7 km/litre if you follow instructions from the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist), a system that helps you drive more efficiently with an ECON (Effective Control) mode, a speedometer display with real-time changing background colours (green for efficient driving; blue for more aggressive driving), and a plant-leaf graphic that grows with more efficient driving. Driven in a normal fashion, the 2011 Honda Insight can still get you 15–17 km/litre. Other major costs like for servicing, repairs, insurance and depreciation should be reasonable and well within expectation for a Honda.

Value for Money

Honda wants to bring affordable hybrid cars to a mass audience. For the first time since inception, the Honda Insight is now a stand-alone model, not one classified under the Honda Civic range. Nomenclature aside, the 2011 Honda Insight does offer value-for-money if you seek a hybrid car, undercutting the Toyota Prius by RM 40K due to a less advanced hybrid system that lowers the production costs. The 2011 Honda Insight is not only the cheapest hybrid car on sale in Malaysia, it is also the cheapest Japan-imported model. Honda hopes to attract new buyers migrating from conventional cars, and for that, the 2011 Honda Insight will need to be less compromised, especially in the area of powertrain performance and refinement.

Equipment

The 2011 Honda Insight comes with automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, front fog lights, power side mirrors with turning light, 4-corner reverse sensors, keyless entry, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, automatic climate control, 4-speaker audio system with CD-player, WMA/MP3 compatibility and USB/AUX connectivity. Dual front SRS airbags, active front head rests, ISOFIX mounting points, ABS, EBD, BA and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) are standard safety equipment.

Environment

Needless to say, the 2011 Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are the greenest cars on Malaysian roads, with official fuel economy ratings that exceed 20 km/litre and official carbon emissions that near the 100 grams/km magic mark. While real-world driving will dampen the official figures, both Japanese hybrid cars are still comfortably more fuel economical and less polluting than other cars in the same segment.

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2011 Honda Insight Review

2011 Honda Insight at a glance