Meet Honda’s new vehicle engineered for those who pay attention to planet earth. The Honda Insight enters the market in direct competition with Toyota Prius but at a decidedly better price.

Honda’s 2010 Insight also offers potential customers, of course, great gas mileage and a fun drive. Honda’s latest attempt at offering a hybrid now seems to have a chance to compete with Toyota’s Prius which says a lot since Prius has had this market cornered for most of the 2000s.

What makes the four-door sedan Insight a good opponent in the green car wars?

The designers of the 2010 Insight understand there is a green car look that they overlooked in their Civic Hybrid design and overdid in the first generation Insight design. This version Insight was designed to look much like the Prius and is offered as a hatchback.

The second generation Insight offers Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system with a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine granting 88 horsepower and 88 pound-feet of torque—added to that is an electric motor that offers more — 13 hp and 58 lb-ft, which will enable the Insight to reach 30 mph before the gas engine kicks in.

Also notable is the nickel-metal hydride battery pack which propels the electric motor. The electric motor aids in the progress by granting regenerative braking, and is a battery-charging generator upon brake activation. The gas engine’s crankshaft spins continuously whether the Insight is using electric power or not so the resumption of the gas engine is done without noise. This green ingenuity results in 40 mpg city[1] and 43 mpg highway[1].

Even though the Prius does have better gas mileage numbers, the Insight as mentioned before is more affordable with an asking price from $19,800* while the Prius has a starting price of $22,000*.

Most features are standard and also standard are antilock brakes, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags.

The Insight LX does not come with stability control and traction control, the back seat is said to offer a cramped ride, and the ride could be quieter, but all in all the new kid on the green block has taken center stage at least for now.

[1] Based on 2010 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

* Pricing doe not include destination & handling. Always check with the dealer for actual pricing.