Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Wagons Upcoming Wagons & Crossovers
305 messages, Last post on Aug 09, 2008 at 8:36 PM
You are in the Wagons Forum. Your Host is kcram
Post your comments about upcoming wagons (real or concept) below. Thanks for your participation!
| I'll believe it when I see it. Honda already makes an Accord Wagon in Japan, which they will NEVER send to the US because it will cut into their enormous profits made on their small SUVs. I would think the same logic would apply to a pickup truck, no? | |
|
Hey Maxx: Accord wagons never really did that well in North America so it's no surprise that HMC is trying to have CR-V's and Odyssey's take care of that market (I'd love a European Accord Tourer!). The truck argument is a bit different -- America is unique in the world (apart from Thailand) for loving the idea of an open bed vehicle. Honda has missed out on this, and has seen both Toyota and Nissan capture additional sales, without sacrificing their SUV sales, by catering to that market. Honda's truck won't be a real, body-on-frame style truck, but it probably doesn't need to be for the type of buyer who will want a Honda truck. I don't think it will be high volume, but it will have appeal, and from HMC's perspective, it beats handing the truck sale to Toyota or Nissan. |
|
|
|
| would this mean Honda might have to come out with a V8??? I wouldn't want even a Honda V6 in something that looks that big... For example the Base model Chevy Silverado with a 4.3L V6, talk about slow!!! | |
| The Pilot is over 4400 lbs. and gets along quite well with the current v6 and 5-speed auto. As a matter of fact, its quicker than several v8 trucks I could name. | |
|
|
| the "truck" by Honda could never really compete with Silverado/F-150/Ram/EVEN Tundra without 4wd and good towing compacity and neither of those will come without a V8 and more low end torque. | |
|
I don't think the Honda truck has any aspiration of replacing the F150, Silverado, Ram, et all as a heavy hauling truck. AFAIK, the Honda truck will be offered in a full 4 door only with Pilot underpinnings - 6 cylinder only although Honda supposedly has access to GM V-8's as part of it's V-6 supply contract. It will probably target the traditional Honda buyer who now leaves the fold when the need for a truck arises. They want the Honda ride and quality with pickup truck utility without having to pay for poor gas mileage and rough ride everyday. IMHO, it will target my family who wants the 4 door utility for family hauling but needs to haul plants, mulch, and the occasional bathtub. The AWD really isn't a required feature for us but I presume that's the only way it'll be offered. Honda recognizes that it's customers go elsewhere for certain vehicles. That's why it created the current Odyssey, CRV, and Pilot. |
|
|
|
| I guess you havn't riden in a Silverado lately... well i have and it's far from a Rough Ride, and i've heard many things about the New f-150 and how it has a "car-like" ride. | |
|
You are right - the 03 GMC I recently drove had a better ride than the trucks I usually drive: an 89 F150 an 88 Dodge Ram 50 a 98 Toyota Tacoma. I guess what I meant is that the Honda truck will probably handle close to the vehicle it is based on - basically the Accord and it won't have to contend with carrying around a frame and transfer case. It will be a more of a trucklet. It will take some sales away from the big 3 by keeping current Honda owners but not enough to make a difference. Those guys need to watch out for Nissan and Toyota. I'd be more inclined to drive this trucklet than a real truck in my everyday commuting life. |
|
| My guess is that the Honda truck, in addition to providing a more carlike ride, will also have very good fuel economy and low emissions. This new vehicle will basically compete with smaller vehicles like the Frontier CrewCab, the Subaru Baja, and the Tacoma 4dr. It will be interesting to see how the vehicle is classified; trucks do not have to conform to the same safety standards as cars. | |
|
I agree with robr2, in that the Pilot Crew Cab won't try to compete with GM. Honda has an existing customer base of about 6 trillion customers, plus or minus a few, but you get the point. The Pilot cannot tow without the owner adding a power steering cooler and a tranny cooler. Even then, IIRC capacity is 3500 lbs. Maybe they'll make those two coolers standard on the Crew Cab, but I doubt they'll go much beyond that. Sales volumes won't be huge, but if they use the existing Pilot for most of it, it won't cost them much, and they could build it side by side. It'll be a niche vehicle, though, not a high volume segment buster. -juice |
|
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
