Honda is resurrecting the Insight nameplate -- a five-passenger gasoline-electric hybrid sedan with a new profile -- to be slotted above the Civic and will show a prototype at the Detroit auto show next month.
The all-new Insight will feature Honda's latest two-motor hybrid system and will be launched in the U.S. in the summer as the newest electrified vehicle in the Honda lineup, the company said Tuesday.
Henio Arcangeli Jr., general manager of the Honda Division, said the next Insight was developed to provide ample interior space and best-in-class performance "without the typical tradeoffs."
The Insight, introduced in 1999, was America's first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, with an EPA highway rating of 70 mpg. The second-generation, five-door Insight debuted in 2009 with more interior space and functionality.
U.S. sales of the Insight peaked at 20,962 in 2010.
Honda said it undertook a new approach with the Insight's latest styling, packaging, premium features and performance to appeal to mainstream-car buyers.
It will provide fuel economy that is competitive with other compact hybrid models.
Honda says the Insight will be built at its Greensburg, Ind., assembly plant, alongside the Civic and CR-V.
