What is it about hybrids and split rear windscreens? Both the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius favour this design style.
It’s a shame because the horizontal bar that divides the smaller upright pane from the slanted pane significantly reduces rear visibility. There are times in the Honda, for example, particularly on motorways and A-roads, when it conceals cars travelling a certain distance behind, and at night this problem is accentuated because it also blocks out headlights. Not only is this unsettling, it’s also irritating when the screened car’s lights suddenly appear again in the darkness, because it looks as if the driver behind has flashed you.
According to Honda, the reason why the tailgate, and the car in general, is shaped the way it is “is to help the aerodynamics”, the theory being that “making the car as slippery as possible exaggerates the already frugal hybrid technology on board the Insight, increasing fuel economy”.
That may well be the case, but I for one would be happier losing out on some extra mpg in return for the increased all-round visibility.
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