Report: Honda fast-tracking updates to improve Insight

2010 Honda Insight EX - Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks like Honda may be responding quickly to some of the early criticism of its new Insight hybrid. Many recent reviews of the Insight have been particularly harsh, especially in comparison to the new Prius. While the Insight does manage to get excellent fuel economy, it can't really compete with the Toyota. In spite of Honda's claims that the insight is not a direct competitor to the Prius, AutoCar claims Honda engineers are working hard to get closer to the mileage leader. It's not clear how close they can get without some significant changes to the powertrain, and that's something that could take a while.

While Toyota clearly has bragging rights in terms of efficiency, one of the primary criticisms of the Honda has been its ride and handling. The Insight works well enough on smooth roads, but is far less well behaved over rougher pavement. Changes to the suspension could be accomplished pretty quickly and even rolled out as a running change.