|
|
Being green just got easier
THERE is no getting away from it: we all have to do our bit for the environment. For some, that might mean donning hi-viz and pedalling everywhere. If you’re Jeremy Clarkson it might mean switching from a V8 to a V6. And for us mere mortals, it could be switching to a hybrid car.
A hybrid, in simple terms, is a car that is powered by both petrol and electric motors. They've been around for a while, and both Honda and rival Japanese builder Toyota have become leaders in the field of producing hybrid cars for the mainstream market.
I have been driving the new top of the range Honda Insight ES-T, loaned to NWN Motoring by local Honda dealer Cloverleaf Cars, of Pinchington Lane, Newbury.
The car is both reminiscent of the excellent Civic but at the same time very different. It is bigger, and lower, which in term makes for lower drag and more efficiency. There’s a reason for everything, you see.
Inside, the car feels very much like the Civic, which, in itself, is a recommendation. Where it differs is in the controls and displays.
The Insight is all about giving the driver the information to adjust his driving style accordingly. To do that, it’s important to have a vague idea of how IMA hybrid drive works. In simple terms, you have a petrol engine, and also an electric motor that is charged by the petrol engine using power that would otherwise be wasted – on the overrun, for example, when the car is slowing down using engine braking. That stored power is then used when the petrol engine needs extra power, such as when going uphill or accelerating.
Simple, isn’t it?
A display on the dash tells the driver where the power is being generated and where it is being used at any point, much like the Toyota Prius.
And, should this prove too complicated for the truly technically illiterate, there is a colour coding system on the speedometer. Called Eco Assist, if it glows green, it means that you are driving economically. If the colour goes more turquoise, it means that your driving is less green. Obviously. If it turns blue, it means that you are killing polar bears every 500 yards. Alright I made the last bit up but it shows that you are not driving economically.
There is also an eco bar display, which stays fairly central with gentle use of the throttle and brake.
Once a journey is over, and the ignition is turned off, the black and white ‘Eco guide’ in the display changes to an ‘eco score’ display. Now, the tree symbols at the top report on the driver’s performance during the last drive, while the bar and symbols at the bottom of the display show a lifetime score. This is shown in three ‘ranks’ with the fully grown tree and flower to the right of the bar showing the best score.
If the driver’s rank has improved since the last journey, a recognition symbol is also displayed, with wreathes and trophy symbols reflecting good progress. Conversely, if the driving style is worse, and the lifetime score and rank decreases, a more depressing recognition symbol of a withering plant is displayed.
It becomes addictive after a while, and a long journey can be made far more interesting by playing the ‘trying to keep the speedo green’ game by careful use of the right foot.
In fact the right foot is the only one you use, as the Insight is fitted with Honda’s brilliantly simple CVT automatic gearbox, a strange move given that auto boxes are usually thirstier than manuals.
However, according to Honda, using a CVT transmission in a hybrid provides smooth and predictable gear transitions and helps keep the IMA system operating at its peak efficiency.
In the Insight, an evolution of the high-torque CVT unit from the Civic Hybrid is used.
So what is is like to drive? Well, aside from the warm feeling you get from knowing that you're doing your bit, it’s a pleasant driving experience. The performance is pretty respectable for a 1.3 engine – let’s face it, you don’t buy a car like this because you like the smell of burning rubber. Or, indeed, burning anything.
So, having shelled you your £18,390 for the top model, (which includes an integral sat-nav), or £15,390 for the entry model, what sort of savings can you expect to see at the petrol pumps?
Honda’s figures show CO2 emissions of a very low 105g/km, and combined fuel consumption figures of 61.4mpg, which, for a car this size, is excellent. It also puts you in a cheap band for road tax. And because it's a hybrid, you will not have to pay the London congestion charge. Now that really will make other drivers green...
At a glance: Honda Insight 1.3 ES-T
Price: £18,390
Top speed: 113mph
0-62mph: 12.4 seconds
Fuel consumption: urban - 61.4mpg, extra-urban - 67.3mpg, combined - 64.2mpg
CO2 emissions: 101g/km
27/03/2009 11:14:00
|
|
