Honda Insight hybrid is back, as a 5-passenger upscale sedan

At the turn of the millennium, Honda was the first car company to bring a mass produced modern hybrid to the U.S. The idea kind of stuck, even if the Honda Insight didn't. The second-generation Insight was discontinued after a dramatic sales decline between 2010 and 2013. Still, many greenies fondly remember the first-generation Insight for its fresh looks, impressive fuel economy and role in ushering in a new era of automotive technology to the U.S. As if to stoke the lingering embers of nostalgia, Honda is reviving the Insight nameplate, bringing a new hybrid sedan to the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Honda is teasing the Insight prototype — which previews a 2019 production model — ahead of the Detroit Auto Show in the images seen above. The automaker says the car will use the company's latest version of its two-motor hybrid powertrain. Honda isn't divulging fuel economy figures yet, but says it will be "competitive with other compact hybrid models."

The new Insight will take a slightly more premium tack, though, as an "upscale, stylish five-passenger sedan positioned above the Civic in Honda's passenger car lineup." Its looks compare more closely to those of the Civic and Accord than of the Clarity series, which will probably resonate better with mainstream buyers.

The 2019 Honda Insight is another step toward the Japanese automaker's goal of having electrified vehicles make up two-thirds of its global sales by 2030. It is scheduled to go on sale next summer, and will be built at the automaker's factory in Greensburg, Indiana. We'll get a better sense of what we can look forward to when we meet the prototype in person on the Detroit show floor. Stay tuned.

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