New Honda Insight 2012 launched in Sri Lanka

Friday, 27 January 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Stafford Motor Co (Pvt) Ltd., the sole distributor for Honda products in Sri Lanka for well over 35 years, celebrated a yet another milestone by introducing the first-ever eco-friendly Honda Hybrid to the Sri Lankan motorist last week.

Keeping in line with the Honda standards and their expectations in terms of the required infrastructure, training needs and skills to service Hybrid vehicles in the country, it is geared not only to service them but also to offer valuable advice to maximise driving pleasure, fuel economy and durability of the battery and the IMA system.

Honda Insight 20l2hx been improved in terms of styling and performance compared to its predecessor. Hybrid cars have been gaining popularity over the years primarily due to their fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions to the environment.

The Insight features a 1.3 line, 4 cylinder gas engine, hamessed with an electric motor which produces 98 BHP, and 123 pound-feet of torque. The Honda Insight 2012 operates on the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system – a system which operates primarily on petrol, while still utilising the electric motor to aid in producing more power than the petrol engine is able to do on its own.

Honda Insight’s Hybrid system is a parallel hybrid where an electric motor is mounted between the l.3liile V-TEC internal combustion engines and the continuously variable transmission. The electric motor also can act as an electric generator.

In braking situations, the hybrid system on the car puts a load in the generator which helps the car to slow down without putting much pressure in the brake system and at the same time, it generates electricity to charge the battery which is on the back of the car.

When the driver wants to accelerate the car, the same generator turns into an electric motor and assists the engine under acceleration process. Also, while driving in steady, low speed conditions, the electric motor can drive the car on its own. This process helps the car consume less fuel and saves wear and tear of the engine and is also more eco-friendly than non hybrid vehicles due to the low carbon emissions.