Toyota Prius pummels Honda Insight in the hybrid war

At the marketing launch last March, the Honda Insight was being pushed to be “the hybrid for everyone.” Unfortunately, its sales since then belie this statement. The truth is that it has failed to capture a large part of the market. At the time of the launch, Steve Center, Honda vice president of advertising and public relations, had said that the company doesn’t only want a “sliver of the market.”

In what could be considered a dig at the Toyota Prius, Center said that the Insight was going to be a populist’s car and not an elitist’s car. However, Honda may want to step up its advertising since Honda’s initial 90,000-unit U.S. sales goal was revised to 60,000 because of the weak economy.
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commander104 - 12/1/2009 4:40:01 PM

+1 Boost

could've fooled me, steve

chewy - 12/1/2009 11:44:43 PM

+1 Boost

Even worse is that almost all of the Insight sales this year came at the expense of Civic Hybrid sales.

Through November of last year Honda sold 30,261 Civic hybrids. This year they have sold only 14,648 Civic hybrids and have been selling less than two hundred the last few months.

XYZZ - 12/2/2009 4:47:30 AM

0 Boost

the Insight is not a bad car at all.

it is just that the Prius is SO MUCH SUPERIOR a vehicle, for not much more money. and by nature, those who buy hybrids do not mind paying a LITTLE more for MUCH better fuel mileage. among other things.

lexworld - 12/2/2009 11:41:12 AM

+1 Boost

Bottom line is Honda is still no match for Toyotas engineering & marketing might. Sure on the average side of the coin anyone can compete on or at the average level that being said, if Toyota can afford to produce a halo supercar(Lexus LFA)and not make a profit because it can...I'am here to tell you they have serious bank!...