Overview

What's New for 2012:
- Restyled exterior including redesigned lights, grille, and bumpers
- Rear-seat area adds head room
- Upper trims feature more luxurious upholstery

Exterior Features
The 2012 Honda Insight is a compact, popularly priced hybrid gaso; the EX upgrades to alloy wheels and adds heated exterior mirrors and automatic headlights.

Interior Features
The base Honda Insight includes automatic climate control, 2-speaker sound system, and some power accessories. The LX trim adds cruise control, floor mats, storage bin, and a 4-speaker sound system with steering-wheel-mounted controls. The EX has a leather-wrapped steering wheel (with shift paddles) and leather-wrapped gearshift knob, upgraded upholstery, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 6-speaker sound system.

Optional Features
The Insight EX offers a rearview camera, touch-screen interface, and audio card reader, with an optional voice-controlled navigation system. Some upper-trim enhancements are available on lower trims.

Under the Hood
The sole power plant in the 2012 Honda Insight is a hybrid gasoline electric system featuring a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine mated with an electric motor that draws electricity from a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Total combined system output is 98 horsepower. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive are standard.

Fuel Economy
EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2012 Honda Insight are 41/44/42 mpg (city/highway/combined).

Safety
Standard safety features on the 2012 Honda Insight include anti-lock brakes (disc in front, drum in rear) with brake assist, traction control, active front head restraints, front-seat side air bags, and side curtain air bags. A reversing camera is included in the available navigation system.

In government tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insight received 4 (out of 5) stars for rollover protection. In tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda Insight received "Good" ratings--the Institute's highest--for all crash protection tests.