Honda today revealed the Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle that it will show at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The new Insight Concept provides an early look at the upcoming 5-passenger hybrid car from Honda that will take on the Toyota Prius.At a first look you might think Hey, its a total rip-off from the Prius - but lets not forget that Honda was the one that started the hybrid craze with the Insight which also looked like cheese wedge.Honda has said nothing about the technical details of the production model other than that it will arrive next spring with an expected annual global sales of 200,000 units - 100,000 of which are expected to come from the U.S. Honda also said that pricing of the new production Insight will be priced significantly below hybrids available today - meaning a price below $19,000 still holds.Click through for the press release:Honda Insight Concept Hybrid:??Press Release:Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle to Debut at Paris International Auto ShowHonda will reveal a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle, to be named Insight, at the 2008 Paris International Auto Show, October 2, the company announced today. The new Insight Concept shares styling cues with the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and will provide an early look at the highly-anticipated five-passenger hybrid vehicle.Going on sale in the U.S. next spring, the all-new purpose-built Insight will come to market at a price significantly below hybrids available today. From this unique position in the marketplace, the Insight will advance the affordability and accessibility of hybrid technology to a new generation of buyers.The original Honda Insight pioneered hybrid technology in the U.S. and remains a symbol of Hondas commitment to innovative technology and fuel efficiency, said Takeo Fukui, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. CEO. This new Insight will break new ground as an affordable hybrid within the reach of customers who want great fuel economy and great value.The Insight Concept defines a new stage in the evolution of hybrid technology by utilizing a more cost-efficient version of Hondas Integrated Motor Assist? (IMA?) hybrid technology, resulting in a new level of affordability for hybrid customers worldwide. Evoking the innovative styling cues first seen in the FCX Clarity, the Insight Concept is designed with a low center of gravity and a generous five-passenger cabin, offering the kind of driving pleasure and roomy interior that customers have come to expect from Honda. While the Insight Concepts aerodynamic design clearly identifies its fuel efficient purpose, its five-door access and folding rear seats speak to functionality that is designed to meet the needs of customers with an active lifestyle. The Insight Concept is a small, fuel efficient hybrid car that delivers big style and functionality with a healthy dose of fun.Honda achieved a significant cost reduction in Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) components which should make Insight the most affordable hybrid vehicle to date. The production Insight will be offered as a five-door, five-passenger hatchback. Numerous technologies, including a function to assist customers in achieving more fuel efficient driving habits, will be applied to achieve a further improvement in real world fuel efficiency. With its affordable price, the new hybrid vehicle will represent the best value in its segment. Along with the Civic Hybrid, the new vehicle will be produced at an expanded hybrid vehicle production line at the Suzuka factory in Japan.The Insight is expected to have annual global sales of 200,000 units per year - approximately 100,000 in North America. Following the launch of the new Insight, Honda also plans to introduce another unique sporty hybrid vehicle based on the CR-Z, first shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. All together, Hondas global sales of hybrids should increase to approximately 500,000 units a year, or more than 10 percent of its total worldwide annual automobile sales.The original Honda Insight was introduced in December 1999 as Americas first gas-electric hybrid car. The first vehicle to break the 70-mpg fuel economy barrier, Insight was designed from the ground up to demonstrate the ultimate potential for fuel-economy in a two-seater subcompact automobile.A leader in the development of cleaner, more fuel-efficient mobility products, Honda introduced the first low-emission gasoline vehicles; Americas first gas-electric hybrid car and the worlds first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCX. In 2007, Honda was named greenest automaker by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth straight time.Tags: 2008 Paris Motor Show, , Honda Hybrid, , Honda Insight Hybrid,