Honda took the wraps off its hydrogen-powered FCV sedan Wednesday. It that will pick up from where the FCX Clarity left off last year.
The FCV will be shown Oct. 28 at the Tokyo Motor Show this year, alongside the automaker’s NSX and Civic Type R. (Any bets on what goes on sale first?) However, it probably won’t be called the FCV when it goes on sale next March in Japan in sometime after in the U.S. Like the FCX Clarity, the FCV may not have much of a life outside California — that’s really the only state with a semblance of hydrogen fuel infrastructure.
The FCV will take on the Toyota Mirai hydrogen car with the same idea but very different executions. The Mirai looks like it’s from the future; the FCV looks like someone colored outside the lines on a Civic.
According to Honda, the FCV will sport a range of more than 400 miles from its fuel cell powertrain and can generate power for “the community” in emergency situations.
The interior will seat five adults, but the automaker isn’t telling us much beyond that. Follow the water to find out more, I guess.
Do I see some semblance of headroom in the back? No, no, Honda, that won’t do at all. Make it a 4-door coupe and get back to us.
help – my eyes are burning !
This styling is subdued compared to the last time we saw the FCV, like a continuation of the Clarity, really. I kinda like it.
Sorry but the Kia/Mazda styling works better on the Civic than this.
Well, it’s better looking than the Mirai. So, uh, that’s something.
Yeah but – the FCX Clarity looked rather normal and nice. This looks like the Tokyo interpretation of a Sixty Special that mated with a Citroen C6.
It’s not working out.
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/honda-fcx-clarity-3-lg.jpg
There was nothing wrong with the FCX’s appearance!
You can see where it resembles the upcoming Honda Civic, much as how the FCX Clarity looked like the Civic of that era. And even though there’s a little too much Accord Crosstour in the mix for my taste, it’s looks hella better than the Toyota Mirai.
A fuel cell vehicle is not about styling, it’s about technology. I suspect that both Toyota and Honda are trying to do with their FCVs what Toyota managed to do with the Gen 2 Prius, which is to create an easily recognizable look that says what tech the driver is using. Whether the motivation is green smugness or high-tech coolness, FCV owners will want people to instantly recognize their ride for being out of the ordinary, and that needs a distinct look.
Maxima wants its grill back.
To each their own, but that grille looks near-as-dammit to a 4th-Gen Accord front end (1990-1993) as I’ve seen in ages! Beakless!
A hydrogen fueled vehicle is about being willing to take the biggest leap of all when it comes to cars. So you’re not going to want a car that’s styled to disappear in the parking lot. If you’re going to take this kind of chance, you want to be able to brag about it driving down the road.
Son of Crosstour!
Beat me to it.
Amazing resemblance to the Luxgen U6
I drove the Clarity around the Consumer Reports test track. It was a very nice car to drive in a luxury car sort of way, and I thought it was beautiful outside and in.
I don’t understand why they had to mess with the styling. This thing looks a bit ungainly, as if the stylists lacked the time to nail the artistic integrity.
I know there’s lots of doubt about the viability of hydrogen, but I really do want to see it succeed. Here’s to Honda pulling it off.
I’d make a Citroen comment but I don’t even want to associate the French with this stylistic nightmare.
I did it for you already.
Dang. You’re right! I don’t know how I missed it.
Honda is nuts for thinking anyone wants to fill their tank with hydrogen under pressure. Who is going to build the infrastructure? Answer: No one with brains.
I’m not that bothered by hydrogen under pressure. I work with enough pressure containment that I know that sort of thing can be done safely.
I’m much more bothered by the utter waste associated with hydrogen compared to electricity. A car company suggesting that I would want to pay more for a car that will cost over 4x as much to fuel is insulting.
Answer: the existing gas and oil companies. They are going to obtain the hydrogen from natural gas. So they will still make money from these vehicles.
This is the pink unicorn of alternative-fuel cars.
Looks like a tarted up Accord.
Something in the rear quarter side view evokes the Subaru SVX,and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Maybe it’s mostly the contrasting roof color, which was available on the SVX?
The roof speaks to it, but more so (to me at least) the rear character line above the fender, as well as the flat fender at the rear.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Subaru_SVX_in_parkland_in_the_British_West_Midlands_first_registered_February_1997_3317cc.JPG
Hydrogen works great – as reaction plasma in a thermonuclear tokamak. It isn’t really any good as a combustion fuel.
And as a secondary concern, somebody needs to remind these automotive product planners of the old design principle that the greatest lines in art are the simplest.
Enough of this Four Wheeled Literbike design language.
METI giveth, protecteth, and sometimes METI cracketh the whip.
Every government has some kind of affirmative action.
Ironic that a man who is building spacecraft has eschewed the use of H2 in his automobiles.
Use the right tool for the job. Batteries are the best solution for cars, but they’d be terrible for airplanes.
That’s why I expect niches to develop for different uses. City cars/commuters will be battery EVs. Large trucks (garbage trucks, buses, FedEx) will be natural gas. Semis will still be diesel.