MORE GOLF BLUEMOTION AND HONDA INSIGHT IMAGES HERE

OKAY, IN THE context of some of the heavyweight shootouts we’ve had in Topcar, you might think this one’s as exciting as watching two unwashed tie-dyed toppies pelting each other with tofu. A 1.3-litre petrol-electric hybrid Honda with a CVT gearbox up against a ubiquitous diesel Volksie Golf isn’t exactly a petrolhead’s idea of ‘died and gone to heaven’, is it?

After driving these two cars for a month over the festive season (penance for being mean to bunny-huggers and tree-gropers in my youth?), there’s a part of me that’s thankful it’s over. But there’s more to this than selfish relief at jumping back behind the wheel of something which offers a jolt of adrenaline instead of just transport.

The Honda Insight and the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, launched without much fanfare, might just be two of the most important cars of the year. Not because they’re the solution to ‘sustainable mobility’ as oil runs out and the earth heats up (they’re not), but because they are crucial stop-gap products that will soothe consciences and keep eco-legislators at bay while the search for the Holy Grail continues.

Both the Honda and the Volkswagen claim radically low fuel consumption and CO2 figures, but it’s the real world practicality of these claims and the very different approach followed by each manufacturer which makes this shootout fascinating.

Is that a Prius?

In the one corner we have the Honda Insight, and it looks exactly like we’ve been conditioned to think a hybrid should. In other words, it looks like a Toyota Prius. A sleek, aerodynamic wedge with a tapering rear announces to the world that you’re a responsible citizen and not a polluting [filtered word] like all the other SUV-loving philistines out there.

Honda understandably bridles at the Prius comparison, saying it borrows its shape from the FCX Clarity fuel cell car and that it looks the way it does to boost aerodynamic efficiency.

The Golf, on the other hand, does not look like a Prius at all. It doesn’t have to since it’s not a hybrid. Instead it looks like any of the thousands of other Golfs on our roads. Look closer though and you’ll see all kinds of aerodynamic tweaks that differentiate the BlueMotion. These include low rolling resistance tyres, lightweight alloys, lower suspension, a modified radiator grille, side skirt extensions and a roof edge spoiler. Even the underbody has been given some aerodynamic tweaks to lower the Golf’s drag coefficient. What you end up with is quite a sporty looking Golf with subtle BlueMotion badging that whispers ‘clever driver’ rather than ‘pretentious celebrity’.

Both cars are five-door family hatchbacks retailing for less than R270 000 (R259 900 for the Honda and R265 600 for the VW), but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. The Insight’s cabin is surprisingly roomy and mainstream, considering Honda had to incorporate a battery pack into the chassis. While 400 litres of cargo space and flexible seating sounds good on paper, the sloping roofline means that headroom for adults in the back is actually quite tight. The standard spec count is high though, and includes electric windows, climate control, electric mirrors, cruise control, remote central locking, a six-speaker sound system with an iPod/USB port as well as front, side and curtain airbags.