Last two times I chatted with you guys about the CR-V and the Civic, and this time let's turn our attention to another Dongfeng Honda model, the Inspiring, and see what exactly is behind its recent wave of "car purchase policies," shall we?

Dongfeng Honda said that from May 8 to May 31 this year, buying the Inspiring also lets you enjoy that so-called "factory-limited-time comprehensive benefits," up to 53,000 yuan.

And these "comprehensive benefits" do look pretty tempting, but you have to break them down and look carefully. Because in there, the cash subsidy is 42,000 yuan, which should be what everyone cares about most—after all, it's solid real money, right?

Then there's a 4,000 yuan finance and credit subsidy, a trade-in subsidy for old cars of up to 6,000 yuan, and mall points worth up to 1,000 yuan.

In addition, it's said you can also stack national or local trade-in subsidies, up to 15,000 yuan.

By this calculation, if you get all the discounts, in theory you could save quite a lot. However, I have to remind you that the words "up to" often hide a lot of depth, and how much discount you can actually get still depends on you going to the store and carefully doing the math yourself—don't just listen to the advertising.

The Inspiring may not be that familiar to some of you. It's positioned as a mid-size car and first appeared in August 2018. Then in July 2023, the second-generation model arrived. The 2025 model currently on the market was launched last December 25 and counts as an annual minor facelift.

In terms of body dimensions, length, width, and height are 4,979 mm, 1,862 mm, and 1,449 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,830 mm. This size is standard for a mid-size sedan, and space performance shouldn't be too cramped.

For the powertrain, the Inspiring offers two choices. One is the gasoline version, using a 1.5T engine with a maximum power of 141 kW, matched to a CVT continuously variable transmission.

This powertrain does have smoothness, but if you want it to be very exciting, it may fall a bit short—it's a common setup for family cars.

The other is a plug-in hybrid version, using a hybrid system composed of a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine plus an electric motor, with an E-CVT transmission.

Plug-in hybrids are pretty popular now—you can drive a stretch on pure electric power, use electricity for daily commuting, and save a little on fuel costs, provided you have a convenient place to charge, otherwise it gets a bit awkward.

As for how well it sells, judging from March data this year, the Inspiring and the Civic sold about the same, both moving more than 3,000 units.

Although it can't compare with its own big brother CR-V, which sold 16,530 units that month, in the fiercely competitive mid-size car market, being able to sell more than 3,000 units a month means it still has its place—after all, it's not one of those hot models people mention all the time.

If you ask me, the Inspiring is the kind of car that isn't too flashy but may have something to it. With these preferential policies now, it may get a bit more attention.

If you happen to be considering buying a mid-size sedan, especially if you're interested in plug-in hybrid models, you might as well go learn about it in person, especially in light of these current subsidies.

But I'll still say the same old thing: don't let the numbers on the promotional sheet dazzle you—the final out-the-door price is the key.

Remember, I haven't taken a cent from Honda for saying all this; it's purely advice from a consumer's perspective.

Go to a 4S store yourself, take a test drive, compare it with cars in the same class, and see whether it really suits you. Don't listen to those who are paid to do a job and talk nonsense.