By having no B-pillar and allowing the doors to swing open wide (fronts open up 78 degrees and the rears pivot a full 90 degrees), a 55.5 inch-wide portal allows bulky items to be loaded with ease. Though it may look as if the front and rear fenders missed the paint booth as the Element rolled down the assembly line, those rugged composite panels allow things like bikes and snowboards to be leaned against the vehicle without worrying about scratching the body up.Īnother example of "form follows function" is the door design. Apart from minor details such as larger side-view mirrors and small differences in the front and rear fascias, the production Element is nearly a dead ringer for the concept vehicle. Honda was overwhelmed with favorable public reaction to the boxy, two-tone wagonlike vehicle with barn-door-style doors that opened up like those on a 1966 Lincoln Continental. Lots of valuable feedback was gained in this fashion, and the Honda folks even went so far as camping at a surfing beach in California, observing how the diehard surfers would sleep in their pickups and vans overnight so they could catch the gnarly waves early the next morning. Testing the market waters with the Model X concept (that debuted at the 2001 NAIAS in Detroit), Honda's team of engineers and designers took the vehicle to various university campuses as well as outdoor hot spots where snowboarders and mountain bikers get their adrenaline rushes. Geared towards young and very active Generation Y types who want an affordable vehicle with flexible cargo-hauling ability along with a sporty persona, the Element is chock full of features that make it easy to take the mountain bikes to the trailhead, the surfboard to the waves or the 27-inch TV from Best Buy to the dorm or apartment. Honda's latest attack into a new segment (tall wagonlike mutations such as the Toyota Matrix and retro-themed Chrysler PT Cruiser) proves this point. Here is a company that does its homework and usually doesn't bring a product to market until it's fully developed and ready to make a serious dent.
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