Review Car

Honda Dumps the Element

The small SUV, the Element, that is manufactured by Honda will see its last year in 2011. The SUV is most notably known for its boxy elements and small size, as well as rear hinged side doors. The Element has been produced for the last eight years. And was first seen by the public in 2001 at the Detroit Auto Show. Ever since then it has been a popular seller for Honda.

So why the sudden end of the Element? Honda reported that in recent years the Element just has not sold as much as it should. The company stated that more people are turning to the CR-V to fit their small SUV needs. Sales for this year decreased by around 3.7% from last year. This is from the huge decrease that the Element experienced in 2009 when the sales fell by more than half.

  Perhaps one of the reasons that the Element failed was that Honda marketed the vehicle to younger buyers. Since the floor was coated in rubber, this made it extremely easy to clean dirt and debris from, while the seats were covered in a fabric that was tough to stain. Therefore, in the eyes of Honda, this was the perfect vehicle for the small family with young children. However, after the release of the vehicle, they noticed that more older people who had finished with the family life were purchasing the vehicles. Over the years, they have tried to cater to a specific demographic, for example in 2009 they tried to lure dog owners into purchasing an Element by adding on specific options that dog owners would love. However, it seems that these were all wasted efforts.

Will the public be sad to see the Honda Element go? Chances are, not really. Though it was a good seller for a few years for Honda. Most people did not like the boxy concept to the SUV. With all the other options that Honda has to choose from though, this should not affect the reputation of the company, nor their sales dramatically.