- Patents seem to show a modern take on the Honda Element
- Sales were acceptably strong for the Element when new
- A new Element could take on the Kia Soul
It’s been more than a minute since the squared-off Element graced showrooms at Honda — roughly a dozen years, in fact. The original model was sold from 2003 to 2011, arguably ahead of its time given the staying power of boxy little utilitarians such as the popular Kia Soul. However, if a series of new patents are any indication, Honda may be considering a reprise.
Published in late June of this year and discovered by car rags south of the border, these patents point to the notion that Honda could be working on (or at least thinking about) a successor to the Element. One patent shows a machine with a boxy profile which clearly draws on the Element for inspiration — it even has clamshell doors in a similar shape as the original car — but this time around the design wizards appear to be dreaming of a modular system in which accessories or body panels can be added to the main body.
For example, what appears to be a camper shell sprouts from the roof, looking for all the world like a pop-up section on an old Westfalia van. Out back there appears to be some sort of extension which could be a tent or other enclosure. These would fit well with the type of lifestyle customers Honda was chasing with the old Element and would likely go after with a new iteration. The vehicle shown in these patent drawings seems to have decent ground clearance, a very square design, and those clamshell doors mentioned earlier.
Meanwhile, the second patent shows an adaptable cargo partition which is intended to turn the rear of a vehicle into an open pickup truck bed. Like the Element reprise described above, it seems to be very square in design but with significant changes to the A-pillar area and side doors — to say nothing of the exposed cargo bed instead of enclosed cargo area. It’s neat Honda is even considering such a notion, though we all know that patents are often just that — notions, especially in the automotive world.
The funky Element was decently popular in Canada during its heyday, with peak years seeing it shift at roughly one-sixth the volume of the mighty CR-V. Given the success of Kia’s boxy Soul, not to mention the Canadian preference for SUVs and crossovers in general, there is little reason to doubt the model could achieve success in round two.
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