Honda Element is a compact SUV SUV that is manufactured and marketed by Honda and based on a modified CR-V platform.
Produced in East Liberty, Ohio, Element is offered with front-wheel drive or all-wheel in the United States and Canada from 2003 to 2011 models.
Video Honda Element
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The element follows a concept vehicle called Model X , developed by a core engineer group of Honda R & amp; D in 1998, debuted at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Model X is designed to be an activity-oriented vehicle that combines the features of pickup trucks and sports vehicles.
This element was unveiled at the 2002 New York International Auto Show in March 2002.
The 4-seat element is optimized to carry large volume loads. The floor is made of urethane textured urethane laminated PVC that is easy to clean; the fabric is stain resistant; Individual rear seats are lying, folding, and removable. The arrangement of a large rear clamshell tailgate, and high vehicle, allows high loads.
The rear side door opens outwards from the front but is not called a suicide door: they can not be opened if the conventional front door is not open. To accommodate the elimination of the B-pillar, which provides seamless access to side loading through the 2006 model year, limited by front seat design from 2007 onwards, This element has a reinforced connection chassis, stronger lower side frame, larger, enlarged rocker panels, and five bulkheads per side.
This compact SUV has a 2.4 Liter K engine, an i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that produces 166 hp (124 kW) at 5500 rpm and 160 × lb torque? Ft (217Ã, N? M) at 4500 rpm and front-wheel drive. or an optional 4-wheel drive system - a hydraulically driven system operating only when a front wheel slip occurs, is marketed as a 4 "Real-time" drive. Elements have a towing capacity of 680 kg, or 1500 pounds.
With a projected first-year sales of 50,000, Elements sold 67,478 units in 2003 in the US. In 2010, only over 14,000 were sold, and in December 2010, shortly before its discontinuation, it has sold a total of more than 325,000 units.
In 2007, Element won the "Dog Car of the Year" award by Dogcars.com for "versatile cargo space, easy-to-clean floors, kate-friendly and optional 4-wheel drive design." and in 2010 won the category "Small SUV" as "Top Safety Choice" at the Insurance Institute for the Annual Awards of Highway Safety.
Maps Honda Element
Model year changes
2003
The 2003 element was launched with two trim levels - DX and EX. All models of wheel drive come with large rear moonroof. All trim levels come with a 2.4hz K24A4 160hp engine. Production and sales started in December 2002.
2004
LX mid-range trim level between DX and EX premium trim levels. The side airbag becomes available as an option on the EX model.
2005
The LX model is introduced with more standard features. Improvements were made to the front seats as well as the entry of armrests to the seat of the passenger captain. The DX model is omitted. XM radio satellites and MP3 capabilities are added as standard features in audio systems for EX models. The darkened gray charcoal gray tones and the navy blue are offered with Satin Silver Metallic paint. The wheel cover on the LX is changed to mimic the styled wheels. Fuel economy officially 19 miles per gallon US (12.4 l/100 km) City, 23 miles per gallon US (10.2 l/100 km) Highway; 20 miles per gallon US (11.8 l/100 km km) Combined
2006
A fully painted version called EX-P becomes available with an additional US $ 500. It comes with a 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
2007
The 2007 Element receives a light refresh, including an increase of 10 hp to 166 hp, along with a 5-speed automatic transmission, and an integral seat belt with a front seat that allows the rear seat passengers to get out of the vehicle without a front dweller having to let go. Side airbags become standard, so does electronic stability control. Plastic latticework grilles are replaced by silver blades.
A new trim level called the SC is offered with a different front bumper and grille, lower suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels, projector headlights, tribal print chair, center console and carpeted floor in the seating area. Unlike other trim packages, SC has a non-removable center console.
2008
The only change from the 2007 Element is the addition of the Royal Blue Pearl color to the SC trim.
2009
New color combinations for the dashboard become available.
For 2009, Honda Element got the navigation option and some cosmetic changes on the exterior. The engine hood and redesigned grille design, the front fenders are now all made of metal and not of composite material painted, and the wheel arch is squared. The moon roof is no longer available for 2009-2011.
2010
For the year 2010, Honda Element comes with model LX, EX, EX with Navigation, and SC. However, for all models, Elements only comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission and no longer carry a manual transmission version.
2011
For 2011, Elements no longer carries SC models and Royal Blue Pearl colors are also canceled. Honda stopped Element in early 2011.
Advertising and marketing
Gil the Crab
After the summer vacation, Honda decided to return part of the "Element and Friends" advertising campaign, but with a focus on crabs, named Gil. The most popular character of ads with "I Pinch!" catch phrases, Gil has a myspace page to tell Gil issues with the law. To enter social networking sites, which began to play a larger role in advertising campaigns in the mid-2000s, Gil had to manage blogs and promote online petitions to save his job. and support Gil's paraphernalia through the website. This led to a new commercial launch called TV Element, which aired on September 28, 2006, and was launched with a new Honda Element SC that went on sale on the same day.
Elements and Friends - version 2.0
In the fall of 2006, Elements and Friends (https://web.archive.org/web/20080828161538/http://elementandfriends.com/web site, now no longer working) relaunched with the introduction of a new SC Element trim. Previous versions have driving games using the EX-P Element (now called EX) in the deserts, snow mountains, forests, and beaches. They are now renaming the area "on the ground". The second new option from the main page allows you to choose SC Element to go "underground" in an urbanesque neighborhood featuring drive-in, park center with basketball court, slum mainstreet, and project housing. The six new SC friends include mice, moles, hamsters, doves, roaches, and dogs. Drive-in serves as a place to see TV spots that only feature rats, moles, pigeons, and hamsters. The format remains the same as the new mini-games, but both maps now include tunnels to roam above or below the surface, through mountains and buildings respectively. Changes to the land above include removal of previous TV places from websites and links on the beach to Myspace Gil page.
RPA, the company that created the Elements and Friends website, won the "Best in Show" from MIXX Awards for microsite. They reveal that the average visitor is 15 minutes on site.
Dog-friendly concept
In 2007, Honda Element won the "Dog Car of the Year" award from Dogcars.com. Honda chose to follow up on it with a concept vehicle launched at the 2009 New York Auto Show designed specifically for dog transportation. These include pet control systems, extended cargo-in cargo areas, DC 12V rear ventilation fans, second row seat cover with cream dog stripe design simple to match the bedcloth cover, rubber floors throughout the season with toy bone patterns, fan, and the "dog friendly exterior" emblem. Spill resistant water bowl, also included, can be placed in the corner of the pet bed.
The second row animal control system is a small net cage suitable for cats or small dogs, which can be mounted in place. It's tied directly to the bottom of the seat and the breeding animal can not see out the window, unlike the pet booster "chairs" sold by pet supply vendors specifically designed to allow small dogs to see through the windows and sniff the incoming airflow.. The pet bed is a thick cushion for the entire rear cargo area. The pet holding system in the cargo area consists of a net on the sides and top of the dog bed, as well as the fourth side of the zip-up to be secured after the dog is loaded.
The package was installed by the dealer and sold for $ 1,000.
Termination
Element sales continued to decline throughout the last years of production, reaching only 14,000 units in 2009. In 2003 (Introduction to Elements and the most successful year), Honda sold more cars than in the final 3 vehicles of the year combined. Honda's industry and executive analysts blame Element's death on a variety of factors: competition from similar vehicles offered by other manufacturers, competition in its own automobile product line, and reduced market share for the SUV as a whole.
When Honda launched the Element in 2003 its design was unique, and the philosophy of no-nonsense and retro/progressive style attracted customers to the car. The new and relatively new market for compact SUVs offers little competition, and Honda is able to win buyers by targeting cars toward active young people with a list of options for outdoor activities like cycling and camping. Car competitors quickly notice the success of the vehicle, and Elements quickly joins similar vehicles like Nissan Cube, Ford Flex, Kia Soul and Scion xB. (All vehicles mentioned above except Soul have been terminated or will be lowered by 2020). These other vehicles are similar to Elements and many of them are more affordable, which proves to be too alluring for younger audiences where cars have been directed. In addition to facing tough competition from off the field, Element also has to face stiff competition from inside Honda which is stable in the form of carrier carrier CR-V. Element model elements struggle in the shadow of this more established younger sister's car. Adding to this was the decision of Honda executives not to renew Element at all during the entire 9-year car production, a decision that made Elements seem boring and dated in a market sector that places tremendous value on ultramodern contemporary styles and cutting-edge technology. The worst model year of sales, 2009, saw the CR-V outperformed Elements by a factor of 5 to 1.
The final year model for cars is 2011 and production ends in April.
References
External links
- Honda Element official web page
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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