Honda Insight, test (technology and efficiency)

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Jul 20, 2017 · 9 min read

After knowing how the Honda Insight is outside and inside , and knowing how it is driven and behaves , it is time to talk about the technology that incorporates its hybrid system, and consumption. To begin with we must talk about its two engines integrated in the hybrid system that Honda calls IMA .

IMA stands for Integrated Motor Assist , and that is the key to this hybrid car in parallel of gasoline, which I mentioned in the first part, which some would prefer to call semi-hybrid, to differentiate it from full hybrid , or hybrids to dry, since The electric motor only attends the thermal, and does not work if the thermal is not working, although the latter does not consume gasoline at the time.

In the Honda Insight we have the Otto i- VTEC cycle gasoline engine , 1.3 liters, 1,339 cc of displacement, four in-line cylinders and eight valves (in a SOHC , with a tree at the top). It has opening and closing of variable valves, both in elevation and in time, for those of admission, controlled electronically.

Honda Insight: the electric motor attends the thermal

The i-VTEC engine has a power of 88 hp (65 kW) at 5,800 rpm and delivers a torque of 121 Nm at 4,500 rpm. The first VTEC engine dates back to 1989, that was a 1.6 DOHC (double tree at the top) yielding 160 hp, and its design was the responsibility of the Japanese engineer Ikuo Kajitani, who was inspired by the human respiratory system, and how oxygenation increases , By bronchodilation, when physical activity is performed.

The second engine of the Honda Insight is a synchronous electric motor of permanent magnets and direct current of 14 CV (10 kW) to 1,500 rpm, that delivers a maximum torque of 78 Nm between 0 and 1.000 turns. It is very compact, occupies 48 liters and weighs 38 kg. The total combined power is 98 hp (72 kW). Click here to know about Recovery strap.

The car can not start the engine only with the electric motor as it does in full hybrid type hybrids , it always has to do with the gasoline engine. The function of the electric is to assist and complement the gasoline engine, to achieve more power and torque in times of high demand and acceleration and improve the efficiency of the car.

A car with gasoline engine has a very low efficiency of approximately 20%, the Honda Insight improves its efficiency up to 30%. The energy that would be wasted in the retention or when braking (thanks to the regenerative brakes ), is recovered in the form of electricity that accumulates in the nickel-metal hybrid batteries of the hybrid system, which are placed under the trunk. They are cooled by air that is taken from the passenger compartment, through a grid next to the left rear seat.

It is quite revealing to see in the dashboard the occasions that it regenerates energy and accumulates in the batteries, and that if it were not for the hybrid system it would be lost. When it starts, if it accelerates smoothly, the Honda Insight uses the gasoline engine with a smaller valve opening, and a low consumption.

If it is accelerated hard then also the electric motor that delivers 100% of its torque, helping to the thermal engine that at low turns would have by itself of very little torque, having a slightly more energetic answer. This also happens for example when climbing a ramp, work that demands more effort to the engine.

The gasoline engine alone would have to revolutionize a lot to have more power and torque and face the climb, but the electric motor helps you, helps you, so you do not have to consume as much, and also does it with a free energy, With that electricity that was stored in the batteries, and was wasted in the holds and brakes.

When the car is driven at a constant speed , in plain conditions, with little demand for power, in certain driving conditions, for example without wind, the Insight can only move with the 14 hp of the electric motor, and the gasoline engine stops. Consuming gasoline (and rotates only by inertia), the opening of the intake and exhaust valves is interrupted and the fuel injection is cut off.

However at high speed, for example on motorway, the only engine in operation is the gasoline engine, which also does with a larger valve opening. As it moves with a very long CVT development ratio (in “seventh” ) the consumption is moderate. The electric motor will only go into operation if it suddenly presses the throttle harder to demand more acceleration, again to help the gasoline engine.

Honda Insight Consumption

Thanks to hybridization, as well as good aerodynamics, the content weight, the system start-stop , and the way Eco , which I already explained in the second part , the Honda Insight homologous combined fuel consumption in test cycle European, 4.4 l / 100 km (with 15 — inch tires and tire width 175), with emissions of CO₂ of 101 g / km. The consumption in the city is 4.6 l / 100 km and on the road of 4.2 l / 100 km.

If you equip alloy wheels of 16 inches and tires of width 185, the consumption rises slightly. Combined fuel consumption remains at 4.6 l / 100 km , with CO₂ emissions of 105 g / km, consumption in the city of 4.7 l / 100 km and road of 4.5 l / 100 km. In the Honda Insight the consumption on the road is somewhat lower than the consumption in the city, but with a very small difference.

The scoring system using flowers and trophies that the on-board computer gives to efficient driving challenges you to try to do your best to get all the flowers. In my experience I have to say that I found it very difficult to get them. The five flowers are achieved in three stages.

In a first level you get the lower leaves of the flowers, when you get the five, jump to the next level and get the intermediate leaves, again when you get the five, it is skipped level again and you would get flower petals, Again to five, completing all the flowers. I was not able to get more than five flowers of first level.

The unit I had during the test equipped with 16 “wheels , so the target consumption was 4.6 l / 100 km. The lowest average consumption I got was 5.0 l / 100 km, I was not able to lower it further. The highest average consumption I recorded was 7.1 l / 100 km. To be a gasoline car and automatic gearbox, it is necessary to recognize that they are consumed very content.

By the way, the fuel tank is small, only has 40 liters, so although the consumption is low, the autonomy is not great. With great I mean to spend of 1,000 km with a deposit. I started my city tour, with lots of traffic, wandering through the center of Madrid , with a very variable pace, and a resulting average speed of very low of 17 km / h.

So I walked about 32 km, in less than two hours, using air conditioning, and not yet accustomed to the touch of the car. I made an average consumption of 7.1 l / 100 km. If it does not come to be by the automatic change of continuously variable CVT box , I think I would have gotten out of the car much earlier desperate for such a heavy traffic.

With less complicated traffic, and a more constant speed, consumption in the city would have been lower. I still do not know how many petrol cars, 4.40 m long and automatic, would achieve a consumption of seven liters. After the streets of Madrid, a round the rounds of the capital, the M-30 and the M-40, with a speed of between 90 and 100 km / h, did reduce the average consumption very fast.

Even when traveling by highway, not exceeding 110 km / h, I was able to maintain my minimum consumption, an average consumption of only 5.0 l / 100 km , a figure that seems quite good. According to the on-board computer and the indicator of instantaneous consumption, at 100 km / h consumption would be about 4.6 l / 100 km.

The engine at 100 km / h rotates at around 2050 rpm and at 120 km / h it rotates at about 2,500 laps . At a speed of 120 to 125 km / h the indicator of instantaneous consumption marks about 5.3 l / 100 km. I finished the test after 622 km with the Insight, without actually consuming the 40 liters of the tank.

The on-board computer marked a final average consumption of 5.5 l / 100 km . As consumption resulting from a use by the Community of Madrid, mixture of city and highway at 120 km / h, with some secondary road, I found a figure quite dignified, especially because I did not drive at all times taking care to do it with the Maximum efficiency, since sometimes deactivated Eco mode , or tried the maximum acceleration of the car.

With the annotations of miles traveled and gasoline spent, my accounts suggest that my actual consumption was somewhat higher than the one marked by the on board computer, around 5.95 l / 100 km . This time I could not fill the entire tank, and only replaced 20 euros, which was 15.04 liters, so I could not get a 100% accurate, but only approximate data.

I still think that it is not a bad consumption figure for a gasoline car, although it is true that compared to the Toyota Prius , in which the hybrid system has more prominence, consumption is somewhat lower than in the Insight (of course the Price of both cars is not the same).

It is also worth remembering that in autumn of next year the Honda Insight 2012 will be marketed , a restyling of this model, with subtle changes, that improves its combined consumption by 0.3 l / 100 km thanks to mechanical and aerodynamic adjustments. With 15 “wheels would be 4.1 l / 100 km and with 16” wheels would be 4.3 l / 100 km.

In the last part of this test I will talk about versions , equipment , prices , and we can assess how recommended this car, its qualities, but also its relationship between purchase price and consumption, and we can also compare it with some other alternative Hybrid.

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