Honda Insight spied testing in India.
It was completely undisguised, but with emissions testing equipment.
Possible Insight launch, or could be a test mule for hybrid drivetrains for Indian models like the City.
The Honda Insight has been spotted testing in India. The test car was completely undisguised but had emissions testing equipment mounted on it. This could be a sign that the Insight might be launched in India, or that Honda is considering launching a hybrid drivetrain in the Indian market, like in the City.
The Insight is a petrol-electric hybrid model that Honda sells globally and competes with another hybrid, the Toyota Prius. While the Toyota Prius is on sale in India, it is imported as a completely built unit and so is priced even higher than the Camry, which is also a hybrid model.
As such, it is quite unlikely that the Insight would make it to India since it would need to work as a halo model for Honda. Instead, it is more likely that Honda is testing its hybrid drivetrain in Indian conditions to evaluate if a hybrid City would make sense for India.
A hybrid City would help Honda meet upcoming CAFÉ norms better, with its higher sales numbers. The next-generation Jazz was also revealed to have a dual motor setup, with one motor being electric, but the exact details are yet to be revealed.
The next-gen City is expected to go on sale sometime in 2020 and will be bigger, better, and more luxurious than the current model. It promises to offer more tech than ever if the hybrid variant is launched. Of course, it will be available with petrol and diesel engine options, but this time around the diesel might also get the option of an automatic gearbox.
The new City, when launched, will compete with the Maruti Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Toyota Yaris, Skoda Rapid, and Volkswagen Vento.