Dan Trent: Honda Insight – old school future proof

In short, I think Honda's 'mild hybrid' approach of a compact integrated electric motor filling in a small petrol engine's power and torque deficit in the manner of a turbo or supercharger is a much more honest application of electric assistance than the Prius and the many cars it's inspired. No matter how cleverly they play the system of vehicle taxation, congestion charging and parking. Another rant for another day.

I want to talk about the Insight, mainly based on the fact I've just driven one. And the walk from driver's seat to classifieds wasn't a long one.

The Prius was the winner in the VHS versus Betamax contest between its more complex hybrid system and Honda's more straightforward Integrated Motor Assist. But I wouldn't be seen dead at the wheel of a Prius. Any Prius. The Insight, however, is a much more interesting proposition. In a very Honda way, there was nothing cynical about the Insight and plenty of quirky technical intrigue. Launched in 1999 with headline figures of 83mpg and 80g/km of CO2 the Insight's eco credentials hold up nearly two decades on. But it's the way Honda went about achieving them that makes it such a cool thing.

For starters it's light. Lotus Elise light at not much over 800kg, this with a heavy battery pack included. Second, it's slippery, the fanatical attention to drag reduction as important as that lack of weight to achieving those remarkable figures. Third, it was built from aluminium at the same facility as the similarly constructed NSX. Anything sharing a bloodline with that car is going to be cool, obviously. This is all that I love about slightly obsessional and eccentric Japanese automotive engineering wrapped up in one delightfully stylish little package.

Did the driving experience live up to it though? Well, skins of rice puddings were left untroubled by its less than awe-inspiring combined 80bhp from the electrically assisted 1.0-litre engine. The incredibly long gearing wasn't exactly snappy. And the lazy steering and sense the skinny tyres and narrow rear track were set up with drag reduction and low rolling resistance ahead of handling in terms of priority hardly inspire confidence either. But the lime green metallic of the car I drove, complete with matching fabric on the lightweight seats, looked great and the sense of engineering purity and minimalism really appealed. 

And the need to chase regenerative charging in a car like this means you adapt your driving style to suit, this more proactive and planned approach making for smooth and ultimately relaxing progress. Keeping the gauge in the 'charge' side of the display rather than 'assist' feels like a small victory, even if the electric motor's modest 13hp doesn't exactly light up the road when it does kick in.

As an exercise in design and engineering purity, the Insight has always had a quiet but dedicated following. Currently more or less forgotten, when the big book of hybrid and electric cars is written there will be an important chapter on this car. And although I tend to prefer my cars to be a bit more red-blooded and boisterous I'd love one of these in the stable. They're quite cheap too.

A lime green one like the example I drove is up for just £4,000 with a very knowledgeable and passionate sounding owner going by the advert. It's a bit tatty round the edges though and someone re-trimmed those cool seats in leather. Bluergh! This late-model Japanese import looks smarter and, accordingly, costs nearly twice as much. Pity, it's a boring silver and the interior is plainer. But it still seems like relatively little money for such an intriguing and historically interesting car. And one that still fits the bill as a fuel efficient, stylish little runabout to this day.