Honda to drop Legend, clean-diesel R&D to focus on hybrids: report

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By Tim Beissmann | July 16th, 2010

Honda Motor Co has reportedly abandoned plans to build a new micro-car factory and develop a clean diesel engine in favour of focusing more heavily on hybrids and other green vehicles, according to Japan’s Nikkei Business Daily.

The report said Honda was planning to develop a new hybrid system to improve the efficiency of its larger vehicles, with production at the Yorii factory likely to begin in 2013.

Construction of the Yorii plant has already been completed at a cost of 113 billion yen ($1.5 billion) with an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles.

Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, is known to be determined to step up Honda’s production of hybrid vehicles and will announce the company’s medium-term strategy at a press conference early next week.

The report also suggested that Honda had plans to restructure its product line by dropping the Legend and Elysion models and placing a greater emphasis on low-priced cars for emerging markets like India.

The all-new Civic – due to be released in the first half of 2011 – would also be sold purely as a hybrid vehicle in Japan according to Nikkei.

davie

Where will they get diesels from? Don’t they want to sell any cars in Europe anymore?

Shak

They already have a diesel, they have just said that they wont be placing as much focus on it anymore. They wont develop a new gen diesel engines.

G

It is sad to see the Legend go. Very good car that never got the attention it deserved.
Also sad to see a brand like Honda succumbing to the commercialism of the so called “emerging” markets.
No more NSX, no more Type-R, no more Legend or Accord Euro, now the talk is only Indian econoboxes and stupid hybrids.
R.I.P. Honda. Lucky Soichiro didn’t live to see this.

Shak

WHOA WHOA. Who said no more Accord Euro or Type R. Just because they are focusing on hybrids and econoboxes does not mean their fun cars are dead.
RK

At least in Australia, the Legend has always been killed by its price tag and a lack of marketing effort by Honda to maintain a prestige reputation that could go some way to justifying that price tag. Hondas have been hurt by their price tag in Australia for some time now, but the Legend copped it worst of all.

When I was a kid, Hondas had an awesome reputation and were basically the most prestigious Japanese brand, with stuff like the NSX to reinforce it. My first car was a used Integra. But one by one, they killed their halo cars and performance rep, and did nothing while the rise of Lexus put them in the shade for prestige and Mazda and Nissan shut them out for performance. Honda Australia need to shake up their strategy pretty heavily.

ridley

the legend is a great looking car, smooth and silky to boot. If only it wasn’t priced so high.

can the v6 accord (korean car lookalike) and drop the legend down a few notches into its place
Vibe

It’s weird that Honda’s cars in Australia are that bit more expensive (and often overpriced). I thought we had a free trade agreement with Thailand, which is where the majority of the cars we get from Honda come from.

I just wish Honda would get their act together and make something truly great. Look at Nissan and the 370Z!
Cristos

nooooooooooooooo….

But,but but…

I love the Honda Legend…………….
Karl Krankschaft

It’s a shame to see the Legend die . It was a great luxury car. Am I the only one that thinks diesels make more sense than a hybrid. Hybrids are just so heavy and complicated ( except the crz). Is the whole range FWD now ? (obviously not including the SUVs)

Shak

The Whole range including the SUV’s are FWD as they only go AWD when slip is detected. the Legend was their only true halo car after the S2000 died. its sad to see honda going down the wrong path. BORING

Anthony

It was stated incorrectly that the Accord Euro will be dropped,but it is actually the Espilon,which is a minivan for the Japaneese msrket.
The Euro is a huge success,not only in Australia and New Zealand,but also in Europe,Japan,the middle east and Africa.
It is sold under the upmarket Acura brand as the TSX in America,Canada,and Mexico,and production recently began in China,where it is called the Honda Spirior.

Most other countries get a station wagon as well as the sedan,with diesel and in the USA V6 engines.

There are rumours that there will soon be hybrid versions.

And then of course there is still the oh so daggy regular Accord.
Sexythang

whatever they do….do not drop the accord euro and keep production in japan only.

legend can be dropped because there are better cars with more prestige for the same money. accord euro is pretty much the leader and the de-facto standard in its segment for nearly a decade.