According to preliminary data, the revived SUV from the Japanese brand will appear in 2029, and it is expected to feature a hybrid powertrain.
Like several other automakers, Honda recently had to reconsider its development strategy due to insufficient customer interest in electric vehicles. As a result, the company decided to focus on hybrids and revive models from the past. For instance, after the successful revival of the Honda Prelude, the Japanese company is thinking about bringing back another name from its history.
As Automotive News reports, citing its own sources familiar with the company's plans, Honda intends to revive the Element crossover. Recall that this SUV, reminiscent of a minivan, was produced in the US for a single generation from 2002 to 2011. The model was offered with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (before its discontinuation, it produced 169 hp and a maximum torque of 220 Nm), with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The peak year for the now-defunct model was 2003, when the Honda Element sold about 67,500 units in the US. Sales figures then gradually declined throughout its lifecycle. By the time production ended in 2011, the crossover's annual sales had dropped to 11,500 units.
According to the news agency, production of the new Honda Element is planned to begin in the second quarter of 2029 at the company's plant in Ohio. It is expected that vehicles will only come off this assembly line, and in the first full year alone, Honda aims to produce about 100,000 units of the revived model. Preliminary data suggests that US sales will begin later that same year.
It is assumed that the new Element will slot into the American model lineup between the Honda HR-V and CR-V. In the US, the upcoming SUV is likely to compete with the Ford Bronco Sport, which debuted in 2020 and was updated in 2024. Recall that the Bronco Sport is based on the C2 car platform, which it shares with the Ford Maverick pickup. The current Bronco Sport is offered with either a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder or a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
In turn, the revived Honda Element crossover is expected to feature a hybrid powertrain, though no details about it are available yet. The design of the new model is anticipated to lean toward the style of its predecessor, meaning the SUV may feature squared-off shapes, widened wheel arches, and a massive body kit.
It is also possible that developers may retain the key features of the "first" Element—side-hinged doors and a two-piece tailgate, where the upper part opens upward as usual, while the lower part can fold down to serve as a bench.
No official details about the new Honda Element crossover are available yet. Its starting price is likely to fall between the base prices of the HR-V, which starts at no less than $26,600 in the US (equivalent to approximately 2 million rubles at the current exchange rate), and the CR-V, which costs at least $30,920 (about 2.33 million rubles), while Americans pay no less than $35,630 (about 2.68 million rubles) for the hybrid Honda CR-V.
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