A five-door hatchback, the Honda Insight is the cheapest hybrid currently on the market.

It is expected to appeal to those who are new to hybrids and who may be looking to replace their conventional family car with a more efficient one.

Some schools of thought predict that we’ll all be driving hybrid or electric cars before too long. However, many drivers will cite their main reason for buying a hybrid is to save money, not necessarily to be green.

There are also other issues that need addressing, such as the quiet engine causing accidents and so on.

The engine produces a lively performance, with good throttle response and acceleration times to rival conventional 1.6-litre petrol cars with automatic gearboxes.

Fuel economy (combined) is 64.2mpg and there are driving styles and techniques that can be employed to take the greatest advantage of the hybrid technology.

Driving as smoothly as possible, without heavy acceleration or braking, reduces excessive fuel consumption and allows the high-power battery to remain charged, which in turn means it can power the electric motor to support the engine more regularly. Driving without a heavy right foot generally equals better fuel consumption anyway.

That may sound easy in theory, but in practice it can be tricky to change the way you’ve been driving, in some cases for decades. You’ll have to weigh up whether you think it’s worth it or not.

The Eco Assist system is a simple way of ‘rewarding’ drivers if they adopt this type of driving style. Together with the ECON switch, Eco Assist can be used to achieve high fuel economy and minimise harmful exhaust emissions.

When driving smoothly, the bar stays near the centre of the indicator, shifting slightly right during gradual acceleration and slightly to the left when braking gently. During these conditions, the ambient meter behind the speed display glows a green colour to show optimum economical driving performance.

Under greater acceleration or when braking moderately, the bar in the MID shifts more towards either end of the scale, showing the use of more fuel, and the meter glows a green/blue colour.

With aggressive acceleration or sudden braking, the indicator bar will head to the right or left, deep into the shaded areas of the scale to show major fuel consumption and the ambient meter will turn blue.

Standard equipment in the Honda Insight SE includes driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, climate control, 15-inch alloy wheels, power/heated electric door mirrors and a CD player with aux connection.

Two ISOFIX fittings in both the right and left rear seats are provided and, together with tether anchor points, provide secure child seat mounting points and ensure correct installation.

All models are equipped with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), which is designed to assist the driver in maintaining control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres by applying braking to the wheels as necessary and managing the engine torque systems.

Factfile

Vehicle: Honda Insight SE 1.3

On the road: £15,990

Top speed: 113mph

0-62mph: 12.5 seconds

CO2 emissions: 101g/km

Verdict: Compared to other hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, the SE offers great value for money