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Honda Element gone to the dogs
The "segment-busting" Model X was conceived at the inaugural X Games extreme sports competition in 1998, designed by young staffers in Los Angeles and shown off at the 2001 Detroit auto show. It was apparently so well received by young people that Honda fast-tracked it through to production in just a couple of years.
The boxy crossover would blend with the "young, diversified lifestyle of the sports-loving urban consumer," said Honda.
Its interior was intended to have "base camp functionality and a social atmosphere," with side doors that swing wide to ease loading cargo – surfboards and TVs and skis and stuff. The four seats configure every which way to help the party along. The top-of-the-line model includes a killer stereo.
The only problem was that, as Wheels' own Jil McIntosh has written so eloquently, the driver's visibility is severely compromised by the paper bag that must be worn over the head, so that nobody will recognize you inside such a boxy, ugly little trucklet.
As well, the Element is not cheap. The base model these days starts at $27,000 and goes all the way up to more than $32,000, with plenty of accessories to increase the price further. That's out of the range of most young hipsters, too preoccupied with paying for rent to spend all their money on a car. After all, the equally boxy Nissan Cube and Kia Soul each start at just $18,000.
But that's okay because, just as water will always find its own level, the Element found its own small group of loyalists: dog owners. Who'd have thunk?
Dog people love the Element because it's sturdy and easily cleaned – though it can't be hosed out, as was first rumoured. That'll destroy the electrics and void the warranty. Better open all those wide-swinging doors and get the leaf blower.
As well, its squared-off shape makes it good for carrying rectangular dog crates. Its windows are higher than the average dog nose can reach (avoiding smudges) and, of course, true dog people in their boots and anoraks and unkempt hair don't give a damn what anybody thinks of their appearance. I know, my mom used to breed dogs.
Hence, dogcars.com awarded its first "Dog Car of the Year" title to the Element in 2007. "Everything about the Honda Element has dog-lovers howling with happiness," says the website, noting its all-wheel drive and second row of seats that folds up to each side or even removes altogether, providing considerable cargo area. "The easy-to-clean Element is a near-perfect DogCar with just the right canine chemistry."
So much for the Element's "social atmosphere," unless you count Lassie and Marley among your friends. But Honda's not stupid. Its engineers remembered back to 2005, when they created the WOW concept (Wonderful Openhearted Wagon, if you can believe it), which featured a built-in dog crate in front for better interaction with your dog while travelling. There was another dog crate built into the rear floor.
Honda had noticed there was a market among the canine set, and perhaps seized on dogcars.com's comment that "they've had one of the best Dogmobiles ever in their line for years." And so the dog-friendly Honda Element Concept debuted this month in New York.
It includes a cushioned pet bed in the back and a rear-extending ramp for the dog to trot up. There are special "pet restraint systems" in the back and second row, as well as a rear ventilation fan; removeable seat covers and rubber floor mats, and scattered throughout, bone- and dog-pattern logos.
"Cars are now chasing dogs," said American Honda's executive vice-president in New York.
There are 75 million dogs in the United States and another 3.5 million in Canada. Let those impoverished young hipsters keep borrowing their parents' cars. If they're lucky, their parents might even own an Element. But if surf's up, just be ready to wash off the seat covers before heading to the beach.
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