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Honda SUT Concept

7K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  brendan 
#1 ·
Courtesy The Detroit News

Honda Joins Pickup Crowd with Sport Utility Concept

By Eric Mayne

Surprise.

After months of denying plans to exploit one of the auto industry’s most lucrative vehicle segment — pickup trucks — Honda Motor Co. is taking the plunge.

The Japanese automaker next month will take the wraps off a sport utility truck concept vehicle equipped with an open cargo bed, a new feature for Honda vehicles in North America, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Based on the same underpinnings as the successful Honda Pilot and Acura MDX SUVs, the SUT "will provide the world with its first glimpse of the direction Honda will take with a future production sport utility truck," the automaker said Thursday.

Honda spokesman Andy Boyd declined to comment on when the vehicle will be introduced, but analysts expect a 2005 arrival in U.S. showrooms.

Dealers such as Tony Jerome, president of Tamaroff Buick and Honda in Southfield, are confident of the vehicle’s appeal. Honda products are "bulletproof," he said.

"But I haven’t seen it," Jerome said. "Just some drawings. ... Honda is very, very close with their new products. They don’t really let you have a lot of lead time."

Discretion has been a hallmark of Honda’s approach to product development, said Mike Wall, auto analyst with CSM Worldwide. But the existence of a Honda pickup program was the worst-kept secret in the industry.

Buzz "was out there," Wall said.

With demand for traditional cars waning and light trucks growing in popularity industry-wide, analysts say Honda needs a pickup-like utility to continue its aggressive sales push in the U.S. market.

Among the top six automakers, Honda is the lone pickup holdout. And light trucks — which tend to generate higher profits than cars — represent a growing share of the overall vehicle market.

Through November, light trucks accounted for 53.8 percent of all U.S. vehicle sales in 2003, according to WardsAuto.com. In 1998, that share was 47.6 percent.

Honda won’t forecast demand for the new truck, but suppliers say the automaker expects annual sales in the range of 57,000 units.

Such acceptance would rival the sales performance of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, considered the Honda concept’s closest competition. Through November, Ford sold 54,600 units of the Sport Trac, a mid-size SUV with a cargo bed.

Is Ford worried?

"Not at all," said Rod Locricchio, general manager of Mike Dorian Ford in Mount Clemens.

"The bottom line is price, payment, affordability. And I don’t care how strong it is, how tough it is, how good it looks. It’s all about price point."

Sport Trac’s base price is $23.690, excluding destination charges.

In keeping with its custom, Honda is mum on prospective prices.
 
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#5 ·
The Subaru Baja looks cool too. I shopped the Subarus before buying my E and thought, "that Baja would be suhweet!". The only problem was, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the hell I would do with it. Bed was too small to haul most stuff and most stuff I want to haul that wasn't dirt, I wouldn't want to get wet. But it looks cool, so it's got that going for it.
 
#6 ·
What's up with the headrests???

-brendan
 
#8 ·
...but yuck.

I just saw it on TV. Buttresses off the cab back are ugly and disproportionate on the Chevy Avalanche, and Honda doesn't do 'em any justice, either. If that's what it takes to do a convertible rear cab opening, I'll pass.

And what is it with all the "chunky" this year? It seems like everybody's got a Lego vehicle. Hummer envy?

:roll:
 
#9 ·
What a waste...

I mean, I like the overall look, but it is still a copy of the avalanche, sport trac, baja, etc. The console looks good, but still :?

The waste part comes in, because Honda could be developing a kick ass truck, like a Honda version of an F-150 or a Tundra or something like that. A Honda truck would look (in someone else's words) suhweet! and probably would sell a lot better.
 
#10 ·
The Honda engineers should've borrowed more design tips from the Element than from Chevy's Avalanche. The SUT has almost none of the E's personality... And why reinvent the wheel? They could've lifted whole portions of the E to makeup this new truckster... the flooring, seats, dash...

Seems like making the bed sides jut up so high would make it less functional and harder to use for, um, well... the kind of stuff you use a pickup for. I do like the way the exhaust is integrated into the rear facade and I'm kinda keen on the chunky Transformers-style front headrests.
 
#12 ·
So are they talking about independent rear suspension on a pickup truck instead of a solid rear axle? I don't think that's ever been done here in the U.S. Truck guys like their solid axles. I don't know about the Baja but to me that's not really a truck. I guess that's why sales of that thing are not that great.
 
#13 ·
At least it seats 5. I think my hubs is sold on it :)

I think they did take a lot of the interior design cues from the E. The displays, seat material and dash are very familiar to this EBP owner. I mean it is somewhat Avalanche-like as far as the whole picture is concerned and there are others it mirrors as well. It may not be as unique an idea as the E or even in the SUT world... but it has one biggie going for it. It's a Honda!
 
#15 ·
Speaking about side molding trends did you notice the side moldings. There aren't any. Those are big grooves that look like moldings under lighting conditions or photos. That's the trend. The shaved look or grooves and its in the Acuras also. What is the world coming to? My first car (Civic) did not have moldings and after a few years looked like it was hit with shrapnel.
 
#16 ·
yessireeebob, those wonderful people who brought the downfall of the u.s. auto market, have obviously infiltrated the japanese auto industry.

the lack of extras on a lot of these new hondas are certainly more prone to be the result of accountancy discretion and the profit line than the want/need to wow the customer.

at the least the honda corporation should have pushed the E onto the aftermarket suppliers so we could buy goodies (that arent yet made)

just my 2 cents worth..(very minor accountancy joke)

best,
D.
 
#17 ·
Is that guy reaaaly tall, or is the SUT's height less than an E?

-brendan
 
#21 ·
Ah, the foot is probably of the driver getting out, while the guy shown is someone else up on the raised grassy area behind the truck. Got it.

brendan
 
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