Having already surpassed the Toyota Prius during its first month of sales in the UK, Honda’s Insight is now ranked as the best selling car among all new vehicle registrations in Japan in April marking the first time a hybrid model has been the top seller during any monthly sales period.
According to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, 10,481 units of the Honda Insight were sold marking the continuation of growing success for Honda on home turf. Last year, the Honda Fit was the best selling car among new vehicle registrations for the calendar and fiscal year. It was also the industry’s best selling car for the month of March 2009 until it was displaced by the Insight. The Fit meanwhile, dropped to second place in the rankings in April with sales of 9,443 units.
Over its first three months of sales, the Honda Insight has now sold 19,475 units in Japan alone.
The car has attracted attention as it aims to offer many of the lauded features of the Toyota Prius but with a smaller price tag. It combines a 1.3litre SOHC aluminium alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT with the fifth generation of Honda’s IMA hybrid system which includes a 10kW electric motor with 92Nm of torque and a compact intelligent power unit, power control unit and motor electric control unit and cooling system.
In the US its EPA city/highway/combined fuel-economy rating is 40/43/41 miles per gallon.
