What is it?
Honda Element SC Prototype
What's special about it?
Honda is serious about attracting a younger audience for its Element utility vehicle, which has always focused on functionality at the expense of style and fun. While the Element SC Prototype shown at the New York auto show today is officially a concept car, a production version goes on sale this fall. What you see here is about 90-percent complete.
"The Element SC Prototype is the city-dwelling, style-conscious brother of the original Element," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. In support of that claim, the SC has a monochromatic paint job, an aftermarket-type bumper and grille, projector-beam headlights with smoked lenses and dramatic 21-inch, graphite-finish alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot rubber.
Honda says the suspension has been lowered 3 inches and retuned for sportier handling. We asked if modifications had also been made to account for the additional weight of the 21-inch wheels, but Honda officials said they weren't ready to get into such details.
We suspect the wheels will be a tad smaller on the production version, especially since the front-wheel-drive Element SC is still powered by Honda's 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. Although a higher-flow intake, a less restrictive exhaust and higher-lift camshafts have bumped output to 166 horsepower, 10 more than before, the SC won't be much of a drag racer.
Honda has also switched to electronic throttle control on the SC Prototype and the optional automatic transmission now has five forward gears instead of four. We expect the company will apply these changes to all 2007 Elements.
Inside the Element SC, the atmosphere is more nightclub than surf shop. The black cloth upholstery has a tattoo print with contrasting copper stitching, and designers used plenty of faux copper and black piano trim throughout. Copper-lit gauges complete the ensemble. "Before we went with an easy-clean interior and it was basically 100 percent about being functional," said SC Design Engineer Craig Redinger. "Now we've added some style."
Sport seats with integrated seatbelts are standard in the SC, and not only do they look cool, but they save the driver and front passenger from the hassle of unbuckling their belts when letting out rear passengers. This solves our chief annoyance with the Element's suicide rear door design. Also standard will be full-length side curtain airbags and stability control, features that will be included on all '07 Elements.
Honda officials were mum on pricing but did say that the primary audience for the Element SC model will be young males seeking to make a "personal expression."
What's Edmunds' take?
We doubt Honda will be able to price the Element SC Prototype low enough to capture the Scion xB crowd. However, if the company comes through on the performance front, the SC should convince a few more buyers under age 40 that the Element is cool enough for them. — Erin Riches
Honda Element SC Prototype
What's special about it?
Honda is serious about attracting a younger audience for its Element utility vehicle, which has always focused on functionality at the expense of style and fun. While the Element SC Prototype shown at the New York auto show today is officially a concept car, a production version goes on sale this fall. What you see here is about 90-percent complete.
"The Element SC Prototype is the city-dwelling, style-conscious brother of the original Element," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. In support of that claim, the SC has a monochromatic paint job, an aftermarket-type bumper and grille, projector-beam headlights with smoked lenses and dramatic 21-inch, graphite-finish alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot rubber.
Honda says the suspension has been lowered 3 inches and retuned for sportier handling. We asked if modifications had also been made to account for the additional weight of the 21-inch wheels, but Honda officials said they weren't ready to get into such details.
We suspect the wheels will be a tad smaller on the production version, especially since the front-wheel-drive Element SC is still powered by Honda's 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. Although a higher-flow intake, a less restrictive exhaust and higher-lift camshafts have bumped output to 166 horsepower, 10 more than before, the SC won't be much of a drag racer.
Honda has also switched to electronic throttle control on the SC Prototype and the optional automatic transmission now has five forward gears instead of four. We expect the company will apply these changes to all 2007 Elements.
Inside the Element SC, the atmosphere is more nightclub than surf shop. The black cloth upholstery has a tattoo print with contrasting copper stitching, and designers used plenty of faux copper and black piano trim throughout. Copper-lit gauges complete the ensemble. "Before we went with an easy-clean interior and it was basically 100 percent about being functional," said SC Design Engineer Craig Redinger. "Now we've added some style."
Sport seats with integrated seatbelts are standard in the SC, and not only do they look cool, but they save the driver and front passenger from the hassle of unbuckling their belts when letting out rear passengers. This solves our chief annoyance with the Element's suicide rear door design. Also standard will be full-length side curtain airbags and stability control, features that will be included on all '07 Elements.
Honda officials were mum on pricing but did say that the primary audience for the Element SC model will be young males seeking to make a "personal expression."
What's Edmunds' take?
We doubt Honda will be able to price the Element SC Prototype low enough to capture the Scion xB crowd. However, if the company comes through on the performance front, the SC should convince a few more buyers under age 40 that the Element is cool enough for them. — Erin Riches
Add A Comment »