2007 Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept

In my humblest of opinions, the Insight was one of the greatest cars thatHonda produced during the closing years of the 20th century. At six years of age, it still felt great to drive last year when I tested it last. Of course, you can't really judge it by conventional automotive standards as it falls short on handling, ride, comfort and spaciousness, but goodness, plunking down in the bum-scraping seat and sliding behind its S2000-like steering wheel did feel special. It didn't take much more than a couple of corners around a city block to see, feel, and hear the passion that Honda's engineers put into developing the Insight. This was a car that had the capability to change the way you drive; its fuel consumption, battery and upshift indicators reminding you to maintain as frugal a pace as possible.

The Insight died what I believe was an untimely death. Yes, its sales numbers were abysmal in comparison to the much more popular Prius and other hybrids, including Honda's own Civic Hybrid. It simply

A compact, two-door hybrid car that's sporty? The idea sounds good to us. (Photo: Honda)

wasn't practical at all, plus it cost a lot of money to buy. Most of all, however, it was just plain getting on in years. Even though it never received the standard Honda mid-life update in technology or appearance, the Insight still managed to be the most efficient production car sold in North America and the world's most frugal gasoline-powered car. Honda was just edged out on being able to crown the Insight as the world's most fuel friendly car, period, if not for the Volkswagen Lupo TDI 3L.

Currently, the Insight's legend as Honda's first hybrid is living on throughthe Civic Hybrid and Accord Hybrid, two vehicles that changed Honda's hybrid game. The Accord was Honda's first performance hybrid, while the second generation Civic Hybrid was Honda's

A different approach to making a two-door hybrid than the Insight. (Photo: Honda)

first full hybrid. After applying its RandD team to diesel and fuel cell technology, Honda has turned full-circle and returned to hybrids with a new concept car they showed in Geneva, the Small Hybrid Sports Concept (SHSC).

As its label clearly depicts, the Small Hybrid Sports Concept is Honda's idea of what a future hybrid sports coupe might look like. On the principle of its design and by its exterior shape and proportions, it's easy to make a link between the SHSC and the Insight. They're roughly the same size, though the SHSC is marginally longer, much lower and wider than Honda's first hybrid, and both have very aerodynamic two-door sports car bodies. Honda hasn't released any images of the SHSC's interior, but from the looks of things it is most likely a two-seater with generous trunk space.

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