Honda Insight wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year

Here in the United States, there are more Car of the Year Awards than you can shake a stick at, and apparently that's also the case in Japan. Just last week at the Tokyo Motor Show, the 2010 Toyota Prius won top honors in the 30th annual Japan Car of the Year voting. Now, Honda has sent out a notice that its revived Insight has won the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year.

According to Honda, there were three chief reasons the Insight won the award:

1. The strategy of affordable pricing Honda used in marketing the hybrid Insight
2. The Insight's balance of driving performance and environmental performance
3. The balance of performance and fuel economy at cruising and higher speeds offered by Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), Honda's original hybrid system

Any affordable vehicle that manages great fuel economy will be winner in the eyes of many, so it's not terribly surprising that the Insight took home this trophy. Still, sales results indicate that the Toyota Prius is still firmly entrenched as the number one hybrid to the majority of consumers around the world.

[Source: Honda]

PRESS RELEASE

Insight Hybrid Vehicle Wins Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year 2009-2010

TOKYO, Japan, October 29, 2009 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that the Committee of Japan Automotive Hall of Fame had awarded its Car of the Year 2009-2010 to the Insight hybrid vehicle. The NonProfit Organization cited the following three factors in conferring the award on the Insight:
1. The strategy of affordable pricing Honda used in marketing the hybrid Insight
2. The Insight's balance of driving performance and environmental performance
3. The balance of performance and fuel economy at cruising and higher speeds offered by Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), Honda's original hybrid system


Designed to set the standard of compact cars for a new era, the Insight combines outstanding environmental performance based on Honda's original hybrid system with a fun, responsive driving and an efficient, versatile packaging. In addition, pricing starts at an affordable ¥1,890,000.* Enthusiastically received by customers, in April 2009 the Insight became the first hybrid vehicle to achieve the status of the best-selling automobile among new vehicle registrations in Japan in a calendar month.

* Manufacturer's suggested retail price including consumption tax for the G-type