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For nearly a century, combustion engines were solely used to power mainstream vehicles. However, electricity in harmony with combustion engines is a present-day automotive engineering marvel that goes both ways in terms of making a car faster as well as more efficient.
In 1997, Toyota launched the Prius as the first mass-produced vehicle with a hybrid powertrain, utilising both fuel and electricity. A couple of years later in 1999, Honda revealed their take on making a hybrid vehicle- the Insight.
Throughout the years, both the Prius and Insight have made a name for themselves in the local market, especially for their efficiency. For this article, we were on a quest to find which one performs better.
To keep the comparison parallel, we compared the fourth generation Toyota Prius (XW50) with the last generation of the Honda Insight (ZE4), which is now succeeded by the Civic Hybrid.
In terms of looks, the Toyota Prius has been notoriously known for being unattractive. With a lifted back and rather rounded edges, almost looking like a bubble, the Prius was not a car that was made to turn heads by any means, but that was not the point of building this car.
Unlike its predecessors, the XW50 Prius does bring back the edginess the car deserved, almost in an ‘anarchy is not dead’ way of introducing sharper body lines and flared arches.
The roofline, although still not steep, is steeper than before while still retaining the liftback capabilities.The headlights and tail lights also retain a rather angular design, complimenting the body lines.
The Honda Insight, on the other hand, is more streamlined, resembling the shape of a 10th gen Honda Civic, minus the angular drama. It sports significantly less contour lines over the body, but the fenders flare down sharply over each wheel.
The steep roofline gives it a coupe-esque look, but it does not try hard to look like a sports car by any means. With a more mature and toned down ‘less in your face’ design, it almost resembles its bigger brother- the Honda Accord.
Overall, both cars are somewhat nice to look at. However, if you park one beside the other, most people will lean towards the Insight for its sporty visual appeal.
In terms of interior, both vehicles retain similar qualities. The front seats are bolstered for extra support and both have leather and fabric seat offerings.
However, the interior of the Insight looks more premium. Although both are comfortable to sit in with ample legroom, headroom and adequate space for five passengers, the Insight retains a slightly smaller rear seating space and a stiffer suspension compared to the Prius.
Both have steering wheels that are leather stitched and include media controls. However, the main difference comes to the dash and the infotainment.
Depending on specifications, the Insight comes with a smaller screen, although supporting both Apple Carplay and AndroidAuto. However, the infotainment on the Prius is only limited to Bluetooth pairing for music.
Another key difference is the tachymetre, with the Prius having a digital one at the centre of the dash while the Insight includes a more traditional but sporty one behind the steering wheel.
While both models have hybrid powertrains, the Insight boasts a 1500cc Atkinson cycle i-VTEC engine paired to an electronic continuous variable transmission (e-CVT). Combined,it produces a maximum power output of 151 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 267 Nm at 5,000 rpm, sent to the front wheels.
The Prius on the other hand, is powered by a 1800cc 2ZR-FXE hybrid engine also paired to an eCVT and powering the front wheels. It produces a combined maximum of 122 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and maximum torque of 142 Nm at 3,600 rpm.
If we had to describe it in one word, driving both models was ‘comfortable’. The throttle response is good on the Insight but heaps better on the Prius, which is sharper and more responsive.
The brakes are great in both cars though. But the regenerative brakes on the Prius are more prominent compared to the Honda counterpart, which starts to slow down the vehicle from the moment the foot is off the pedal. This makes Honda the more coastable car.
The Prius also has a more bouncier suspension compared to the Insight, rendering the comfort just a bit better on the Toyota, but the Honda handles better.