A Honda design executive has rejected claims about the Insight Hybrid being a copy of the Toyota Prius, the world’s best-selling hybrid car. The remarks were in response to the observation frequently made in the Japanese and overseas media that Honda’s new Insight gas-electric hybrid bears a resemblance to Japanese rival Toyota’s remodeled Prius.

“We don’t think it looks like the Prius at all. There may be some similarities in the roof line, but it is clearly different. Toyota Motor Corp.’s hybrid system is more complex than Honda’s so it needs a higher roof, and that makes for a distinguishing feature that should be easy to spot,” Nobuki Ebisawa, managing director at Honda R&D said. “Any similarities between the Prius and Insight are coincidence,” he added.

Both the hybrids went on sale at about the same time earlier this year. Both are selling well, especially the Prius in Japan, where it has been the top-selling model for three straight months, the first time a hybrid has taken that spot. In July, Toyota sold 27,712 Prius cars in Japan while Honda sold 10,210 Insights.

The Honda Insight, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, made its presence felt with its aerodynamic design and pronounced width and rather low height.

The production version will be introduced to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in January and pricing is rumored to be just under $19,000 when it goes on sale.

Official Honda Press Release from the Paris Motor Show -

Honda has always intended Hybrid vehicles to be a bridge to a hydrogen powered future, the potential of which has already been demonstrated by the FCX Clarity. The Insight Concept has clear stylistic links to the world’s first production fuel cell car, with both vehicles’ forms shaped to maximise the efficiency of their respective drivetrains.

The Insight Concept is the stylistic inspiration for the production version which will go on sale in 2009. From this unique position in the marketplace, Insight will open hybrid technology to a new generation of customers.

The 1.3 litre Insight is powered by Honda’s acclaimed IMA system, which has been extensively modified to reduce its cost and weight. With careful engineering of key components and refinement of manufacturing processes, the cost of the hybrid system has been significantly reduced. This ensures that Insight can be sold at a very competitive price without compromising ability, quality, environmental performance or profitability.

The Insight will benefit from a significant cost reduction in Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) components resulting in the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date. This dedicated hybrid vehicle will be offered as a 5-door hatchback with seating for five passengers and built on a newly developed platform. Engineers have mounted the compact control unit and battery beneath the boot space to give the Insight both a low centre of gravity and the practicality of a conventionally powered hatchback.

This reduction in cost has not been brought about by compromising the quality of the Insight, instead the Japanese manufacturer has tasked its engineers with finding more intelligent cost reduction solutions.

Insight will utilise various technologies, including a function to assist more fuel efficient driving giving customers a further improvement in real world fuel consumption. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at Honda’s Suzuka factory in Japan which recently has expanded hybrid motor production line.

CO2 emissions and fuel economy are targeted to be at a similar level to the existing Civic Hybrid, giving drivers a flexible and highly practical lower environmental impact car. At its expected price point, Insight will have a unique combination of passenger space, luggage capacity, emissions and economy.

“The original Honda Insight launched in 1999 was the pioneer of hybrid technology in Europe and remains an iconic symbol of Honda’s environmental innovation,” said Takeo Fukui, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. CEO. “This new Insight will also break new ground by providing an affordable hybrid to an expanded number of customers craving great fuel economy and great value.”

The Insight will form the first part of Honda’s new hybrid strategy, which will see a further dedicated hybrid model, derived from the CR-Z show car and a hybrid version of the Jazz. The strategy will make hybrids both more accessible and more appealing to a range of customer types.

The Insight Concept is the culmination of two decades of hybrid petrol electric hybrid research and development. The Insight production vehicle will go on sale in Europe, Japan and North America during the first half of 2009.

In the battle of the hybrids, Honda has unveiled the new Honda Insight Concept at the Paris Motor Show, which will be taking up the challenge to its nearest competition -  The Toyota Prius. According to Official sources, Honda will be pricing the Insight cheaper than any other Hybrid on the road to make Hybrid technology accessible to more people.

The name is a carryover from Honda’s first crack at the hybrid segment. The first generation Insight was billed as the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle sold in the United States. Similar to its rival, The Toyota Prius, it will be a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. The production car will be unveiled in January next year.

Honda has already said the car will be slightly smaller and lighter than the Civic Hybrid, the only hybrid now in Honda’s lineup.

The car will sit on a new platform in which the battery and control unit are located beneath the cargo space. The gasoline engine will serve as the main power source, and the electric motor will assist when extra power is needed, such as during passing, start up and acceleration.