Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Honda "Pickup" Concept to be unveiled at '04 NAIAS

Article link submitted by Andy Huey of Huey's Honda
This article on WardsAuto.com is packed full of juicy tidbits. First, they report that Honda will unveil the concept for its Pilot-based sport utility truck at the North American International Auto Show this January. There is still no confirmation of the date of the production model's debut, but all current indicators point to the 2005 model year.

Secondly, they confirm that Acura will add an entry-level SUV to their lineup, possibly foreshadowed by the RDX concept. Unlikely to show its face for a few more years, this vehicle will most likely be based on the CR-V/Element platform.

Tom Elliott was characterized as stating that Acura and Honda are seeking to focus even more on the light truck market, as he feels they are leaving money on the table. Currently, light trucks make up about 40% of their sales volume, while the overall marketplace is currently at 52%. He's hoping to get Honda and Acura to a similar ratio. He sets this as a higher priority than hybrid drivetrains. Quoting the article: "Light trucks are top priority for Honda and Acura right now, Elliott says - even more so than aggressive development of gas-electric hybrid powertrains, a technology Honda has championed."

Speaking of hybrid powertrains, the article goes on to reference Honda's ongoing development of hybrid powertrain technology, indicating that Honda's next hybrid powertrain (most likely to appear in an '05 Accord) would certainly emphasize fuel economy while Acura's first application of the technology will leverage the technology for added power and/or the incorporation of all wheel drive.

Apparently Mr. Elliott was pretty forthcoming with Ward's Auto last week, because the article keeps going, mentioning that Honda has given the go-ahead to position a new model beneath the Civic in the US lineup. Though it seems obvious that this is going to be a Fit, the current company line is that "Honda is taking other global vehicles into consideration and exploring others that have yet to reach production". My money's on the Fit.

And the final nugget of information offered up relates to the upcoming replacement for the Odyssey, due in the 2005 model year. Tom Elliott says that the new Odyssey will not be a radically different vehicle, but it will adopt a lot of the features first adopted by other automakers (such as a split-folding rear seat), plus it will add one or two new items to up the ante a bit.

http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_honda_build_sut/index.htm