Honda will stop building its Insight hybrid sedan in June. It will be replaced by a hybrid version of the Civic small car, though the automaker hasn’t set a date for when a new Civic Hybrid will arrive on dealer lots.
The company will also “introduce an all-new CR-V Hybrid this year, followed by [a new] Accord Hybrid,” Honda said in a statement.
Lots of Honda Hybrids, Lots of Names
If the move seems confusing, that’s because it is. Honda has sold many hybrids over the past decade but has struggled to establish a consistent name and model lineup that Americans recognize the way Toyota has done with the Prius.
Honda’s first hybrid was called the Insight, which was replaced by a Civic hybrid, after which the company introduced the Clarity plug-in hybrid, then another Insight, and now another Civic Hybrid to replace it again.
All of those cars have had Honda’s excellent build quality and reliability, but none of them have the name recognition and cultural power of the Prius.
The current Insight is, to make the matter more confusing, built on the Civic’s platform. But it isn’t called the Civic. Its replacement will be.
But the Civic got a complete redesign last year, and the Insight didn’t. The new Civic has been a critical and sales success. A new hybrid on the same platform was inevitable. What we’re seeing is mostly a name change to go with the new design.
Canceled Cars Don’t Mean Cheaper Prices This Year
In a more normal market, we’d advise you to consider buying an Insight as its cancelation date draws near. Dealers are often willing to part with cars for lower prices once an automaker has declared them dead. But, with prices still near the record highs of last December, that phenomenon is less common than ever.
