Most, if not all taxis on the other side of the pond run on diesel or LPG, but Honda believes it might be able to convince some European cabbies to try out its Insight and Civic mild-hybrid models. Both cars come in appropriate exterior colors and are equipped with pre-installed roof brackets and a mounting for the taxi-meter on the dashboard as well as some other special equipment such as heavy duty floor mats.

In the European driving cycle, the Insight achieves a combined fuel rating of 4.4 lt/100km (53.5 mpg US) while the Civic Hybrid, 4.9 lt /100km (48 mpg US).

Prices in Germany start from €15,990 for the Insight and from €17,990 for the Civic Hybrid (about US$22,000 and $24,700 at today's exchange rates) with Honda offering upon request, a warranty extension to 3 years or 300,000km, whichever comes first.

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Honda's all-new Insight hybrid is off to good start in Britain having sold 229 units since it went on sale in the market on April 4, 2009. That's compared to 198 units of the current generation Prius - always according to Honda's data. Besides the fact that the Insight is a newer model than the Prius (the third-gen Prius will be arriving on British shores in July 2009), another benefiting factor for Honda's hybrid is that it is priced significantly lower than Toyota's hybrid.

In the UK, the Honda Insight starts from £15,490 (US$22,900) on-the-road whereas the second-generation Prius begins from £18,370 (US$27,100). The Japanese automaker said that it expects to sell around 7,000 Insights in the UK this year while the annual global sales target is in the region of 200,000 units.

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The all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid car made its world debut at the North American International Auto Show. Honda's mass production hybrid will be launched worldwide in the beginning of April 2009 and will be priced in the States below the Civic Hybrid that starts from $23,650. Utilizing the same mild-hybrid system as the Civic IMA, the Insight is powered by a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

The Insight's IMA system incorporates a 10-kilowatt (13 hp) electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) that recaptures and stores kinetic energy from vehicle braking and deceleration, supplying additional power for acceleration when needed. The combined output of the petrol and electric engine is 98HP - significantly less than the Prius' 134HP.

Honda's new dedicated hybrid also loses from the Prius -on the papers at least- in terms of fuel efficiency achieving a combined EPA rating of 41 mpg US compared to Toyota's gen-III Prius 50 mpg. According to Honda, with a 10.6-gallon fuel tank, the Insight delivers an estimated maximum driving range in excess of 400 miles.

However, bear in mind that these are EPA estimates plus, the price difference between the two hybrid models may mean that in the long run, the Insight could prove more cost efficient.

Now that we've seen the whole picture, and despite the fact that the Prius is no beauty queen, we find the Insight's design more bland and with less character. The interior on the other hand, though over-loaded and somewhat complicated, has that futuristic look that one would expect from a dedicated hybrid model.

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