TOKYO -- Orders for the hybrid Insight have totaled 18,000 since it hit the Japanese auto market about a month ago, outpacing Honda's target and underlining the success of the new affordable and ecological vehicle, the company said Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. The Insight starts at $19,000 in Japan.

Honda said Tuesday that it will price the Insight starting at $19,800 in the U.S., where it will go on sale March 24 as the cheapest hybrid on the commercial market. The Insight also goes on sale in Europe in March.

The brisk demand for the gas-electric hybrid is a rare piece of good news for Honda Motor Co. as the auto industry grapples with plunging global demand. Honda, Japan's second biggest automaker, was hoping for the Insight's monthly sales to reach 5,000 vehicles.