Test Drive Honda Insight and CR-Z: Hip Hip Hybrid!

The display is firmly showing 60.4 miles per gallon – that's equivalent to 3.89 l/100 km – still an extremely economical value for a compact sports car with an internal combustion engine which the Insight is! In 1999, it was a small revolution: it was the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle from Honda with a parallel hybrid system including "Integrated Motor Assist (IMA)": this officially achieved 3.4 l/100 km (NEDC cycle). This came two years after the Toyota Prius, which, however, was not marketed in Europe until 2000. Both remained revolutionary for a rather "green"-minded audience and while the futuristic Honda stayed in its niche, Toyota quickly followed with the 2003 second generation, internally called NHW 20, which immediately became the favorite of the ecologically-minded US elite and, with Julia Roberts and co. at the wheel, also made a global career.

The Insight is still an eye-catcher

Today, the first Prius is less sought after due to its homely appearance, while the Insight is still an eye-catcher! Because, as mentioned, with its 3.4 l/100 km, it was one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world! This was not only due to its drive, but also to its aluminum body and optimized aerodynamics: at the rear, it tapers strongly in a teardrop shape and has covered rear wheels with an extra-narrow track. Skirts over the rear wheels and the flat underbody gave it a drag coefficient (cW) of only 0.25 – record-breaking in 1999! The manufacturing technique was adopted from the NSX: with a combination of extruded, stamped, and die-cast aluminum parts, the body weighed 40 percent less than a comparable steel body.

A lot of aluminum and plastic reduce the weight to 852 kg

Aluminum was also used for the outer coverings, except for the front fenders and rear skirts, which were made of recyclable plastic composite, saving further weight. Today, it can still turn heads visually but feels very light compared to all the typically at least 1.5-ton new cars, yet solid for the materials used! This once again speaks to Japanese perfection! Only the abundant hard plastic used inside causes all sorts of creaks and rattles.

Since Honda suggests a nice loop from Banbury towards Formula 1 hub Brackley to Northamptonshire, but already sharp left and single-lane north at the Thenford Gardens and the associated arboretum, the Insight can truly showcase its handling and rattle to its heart's content – as third-class country roads in the UK really challenge both driver and vehicle.

The battery was still a lightweight at 20 kilos

Why you always have to diligently stir the precise gearbox to keep one of the lightest 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engines ever built, according to Honda, happy. Because from today's perspective, its lean engine with 76 hp and 127 Nm offers rather minimal mobile performance. When accelerating, an electric motor supported the combustion engine and boosted its performance to the then level of a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. When decelerating, it already functioned as a generator to charge the 20-kilo, 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery (Ni-MH) that tucked under the (high-lying) trunk floor. But you don't feel any of that!

But since the Insight was designed as a technology carrier, Honda also gave it a start-stop system, low-friction components, and lightweight materials: with air conditioning, it weighs just 852 kilograms empty, and only 835 without. From today's perspective, perhaps only a Dacia Spring would come close to the Insight.

At the end of our half-hour round, we remained under four liters/100 km

So we drive it hard over the treacherous surface, but being Japanese, the little guy is tough and always reliable. You practically don't feel the supporting electric motor, except in the consumption! Directly connected to the crankshaft of the combustion engine was an ultra-thin (60 mm) brushless DC motor, which curbed the gasoline thirst. Really curbed – because at the end of our wild round, we stayed under four liters!

Switching to the 2010 Honda CR-Z: It's incredible how much has changed in just over a decade! The CR-Z feels much larger, more powerful, more valuable – but also heavier and bulkier than the Insight. Here too, we have digital instruments, but still many buttons and switches and a much higher-quality constructed and processed dashboard landscape. It was nevertheless designed more "down-to-earth" and combined the futurism of the Insight with the fun of the CRX. And it anticipated the drive modes of electric vehicles: We can use a button to the right of the steering wheel to choose between the three settings "Normal," "Sport," and "Econ" and subtly adjust the responsiveness of the accelerator and steering, climate control, and the support of the IMA system. On our narrow course, "Sport" mode is not much use, as many tight and barely visible corners and the sometimes very high middle of the asphalt and some nasty potholes force us to drive at moderate speeds. Still perfect: The crisp gearbox, which is perfect even for those who rarely use a manual transmission, and the firm steering. The driving behavior? Taut, solid, AND more comfortable than the Insight.

The 1.5-liter engine has noticeably more punch

Under its hood worked a further developed version of the combined gasoline-electric drive with IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). The system offered even more power and was here combined for the first time with an extremely well-shifting six-speed manual transmission – at that time a world first for hybrid vehicles. The gasoline engine is the familiar 1.5-liter 16-valve engine with 124 hp and not-so-modest 174 Nm of torque, which are fine-tuned by the intelligent i-VTEC valve control: the system helps to reduce emissions and fuel consumption at low speeds but offers more power at higher speeds. In fact, the CR-Z feels noticeably freer and more willing to rev at higher speeds than if you just let it "grind" along at low revs. On our round, the consumption was still low at 5.9l/100 km considering the fun potential offered, although much higher than the extremely fuel-efficient "laboratory" Insight. This is confirmed by the NEDC values of 5.0l/100 km…

The electric motor was used more powerfully and supported fun rather than just efficiency

Today, almost standard: between the combustion engine and the six-speed gearbox, there was an electric motor with 14 hp, which produced an impressive 78 Nm at low to medium revs, provided instant throttle response, and according to Honda, should deliver the performance of a 1.8-liter engine. Well, we find: The CR-Z simply feels significantly more powerful than the Insight, but also weighs significantly more at 1,198 kg. And you can feel the wider track on our narrow round through Northampton. When a Land Rover suddenly blocks our path, we have to veer way out into the countryside; simply sneaking past is not an option.

The battery was also upgraded: in the CR-Z, a 100.8-volt Nickel-Metal Hydride battery was once again placed under the trunk floor, and they even managed to fit two small seats in the back – more suited for Barbie dolls or Playmobil figures.