Malaysians would recognise the Honda Insight as Honda’s copy rival to the Toyota Prius. Both models were introduced here at a time when hybrid cars received favourable tax incentives but that never lasted, sadly.

Both the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight continued being sold overseas with their respective new generations missing the boat to Malaysia. The current Honda Insight, in particular, was introduced in 2018 and was essentially a Honda Civic Hybrid with a different name.

Also read: Used hybrids are really cheap, so should you buy a used Toyota Prius, Camry Hybrid or Honda Insight?

Sold only in a few markets like North America and Japan, the third-generation Honda Insight isn’t quite as well known as its predecessor. As such, there are rumours that could see the Insight be integrated with the Civic as a single model.

According to BestCarWeb, the next-gen Insight could ditch the sedan body in favour of a hatchback. The Japanese media also said that the 1.5-litre hybrid engine (151 PS/267 Nm) will be carried over from the outgoing Insight.

Also read: FAQ to the all-new 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback - all your questions, answered

BestCarWeb speculates that the replacement would be launched in mid-2022 and it could be goodbye to the Insight nameplate which was revived twice.

It was first introduced on Honda’s revolutionary hybrid coupe in 1999 which still ranks as one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles tested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a combined city/highway rating of 64 mpg (4.4 L/100 km).

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If this speculation is true, it marks the return of the hybrid engine variant to the Civic line-up after skipping the previous generation. This would also be the first time the hybrid is introduced to the Civic hatchback given that the previous generations of the Civic Hybrid were only offered on the sedan.

With the Insight selling poorly in Japan, perhaps merging with the Civic could give it a boost. With Honda planning to axe all combustible-powered vehicles by 2040, a way to convince buyers is by giving it a familiar name.

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