The Honda Insight, called “the Prius fighter” all over the blogosphere, was officially unveiled at the Paris auto show in early October. Honda president Takeo Fukui took the opportunity to run down a few details of the car, like power and price, at the event.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two mass-market hybrids, one already popular in the U.S. and one prepping for the fight. Keep in mind that Toyota’s got a redesigned Prius up its sleeve for 2010, and it’s predicted to have better mileage and a bigger gasoline engine.

2009 Honda Insight

• Under $20,000 (2 million yen is the target)
• 1.3-liter, 4-cylinder engine
• battery type not available
• 40 mpg city, 45 mpg highway
• five-door, five-passenger hatchback

2009 Toyota Prius

• $22,000 base MSRP
• 1.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engine
• NiMH battery pack
• 48 mpg city, 45 mpg highway
• five-door, five passenger hatchback

[Sources: Automotive News (subscription required), Edmunds.com, FuelEconomy.gov, Toyota.com]

Image courtesy of Honda.

The new car looks more like a Civic or hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity and less like the old Insight, with its covered rear wheels and flat Kamm tail. Though the original only sold 17,000 units between 1999 and 2006, it was the first car to break the 70 mpg barrier. Honda expects the new Insight to sell much better, to the tune of 200,000 cars worldwide, half of which will end up in American driveways. The concept will debut at the Paris auto show, October 4-19, 2008, and be available in U.S. showrooms by April 2009.

Honda already has a hybrid version of the Civic, but the Insight will be smaller and lighter. The company also has plans to add a hybrid Fit to the lineup sometime in the future, along with a sporty hybrid based on the CR-Z.