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.