Honda Rugged Open Air Vehicle Concept for 2018 SEMA Show

Hooniverse Asks: What new vehicle should be turned into a full-size side-by-side UTV?

Jeff Glucker

/comment

Comments

At the 2018 SEMA show, Honda unveiled an unexpected concept. It’s called the Rugged Open Air Vehicle, and it started life as a Ridgeline pickup truck. The roof is gone. The bodywork resembles an oversized Honda Talon, but with a much larger bed. Yet instead of a motorcycle engine under the hood, Honda stuck with V6 power. This one packs a 3.5-liter mill mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

To handle off-road duty, Honda has lifted the chassis a bit. A 33-inch tire sits shod at each corner. Seats from a Civic Type R keep your rear in check and the steering wheel was plucked from a Pioneer UTV. It’s a concept, an odd one at that, yet it has us wondering what other vehicles might look like as off-road prepped beasties with no rules.

First Drive: Honda Talon 1000R and 1000X

Which vehicle would you like to see given a similar treatment? And I don’t mean something that’s street-legal and on-sale, like a Ford Raptor. I’m talking about a vehicle that’s been melded with the idea of a real side-by-side. The Jeep Wrangler doesn’t count either, even if it’s the closest production vehicle on the market to something like this.

And if you’re eager to learn more about the one above… I’m driving it later today out in the California desert. So stay tuned for more on that.

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

33 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What new vehicle should be turned into a full-size side-by-side UTV?”

  1. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Mid engine Vette.

    https://cdn.drivingline.com/media/2312377/corvette2.jpg

    Reply
  2. Victor Avatar
    Victor

    I would like to know why the media is so obsessed with reporting every Tesla failure ? Looking at the numbers they don’t seem to have more trouble than any other manufacturer.

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      I recall Consumer Reports last year ranked them near the bottom of the list, just above Volvo (I only remember this because my wife drove a Volvo and liked to make fun of our Kia minivan that I drive, but I could boast that Kia was in the top 5). I don’t think domestics in general do very well in the CR rankings, but the Model S had problems with suspension that really dragged it down. I’m not sure what “the media” is saying lately, but CR’s data is derived from car owners. That’s about as direct and un-spun as you can get.

      Tesla’s a young company, and I don’t expect them to have issues all sorted out in less than 10 years. But given that I generally don’t find their cars nor their CEO very appealing, it doesn’t bother me much.

      Reply
      1. Victor Avatar
        Victor

        My first thought was maybe they liked the product but hated the producer.

        Reply
      2. Victor Avatar
        Victor

        And Volvo at the bottom of the list ? Damn how times have changed.

        Reply
      3. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Both CR, JD Powers and other subjective consumer surveys are highly volatile to both numbers/participants (which tend to be few) and singular issues (like Tesla’s suspension, Volvo’s botched 90 series introduction). It’s a pretty tight field, too, so small variations can result in significant placement changes. They measure what they are supposed to, but keep in mind that their mission is sometimes pretty specific (“customer satisfaction in the first 6 months of ownership” and that kind of stuff).

        Personally, I am a fan of inspection data (which is only a statebased phenomenon and probably isn’t published). The like of TüV, DEKRA, Bilprövningen etc., even though German automakers have found a way around that, too, by offering “pre-inspection services”. For crash and warranty issues, insurance data like Folksam is very helpful, too. Often paints a more solid, number based picture than surveys.

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          I’m not saying CR is the most accurate, only that I perceive it as minimally media-influenced. Metrics such as “initial quality” and “initial customer satisfaction” mean little to me, but CR continues to collect ownership data as a model ages. That is information that I find valuable, because I typically keep a car for 10 or more years. It’d be great if inspection data were collected and reported in the U.S., but my state doesn’t even require annual inspections.

          Reply
          1. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            It seems like many of the systems are vulnerable to usability issues etc for infotainment

      4. salguod Avatar
        salguod

        I found truedelta.com a better source of reliability information and they routinely found Teslas to have 2x-3x the issues of the average car. I think that the model S has finally worked its way up to average. Unfortunately TrueDelta has stopped their survey.

        Somewhere online is a maintenance records spreadsheet of a 400K mile model S. I compared its cost per mile (even with 2 warranty battery replacements and one warranty motor replacement) to my 205K Prius and my Prius was cheaper, including electricity and fuel.

        Tesla is an interesting car but the arrogance of its founder has hampered it.

        Reply
    2. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      Tesla is easy clickbait for both haters and EVangelists of the Church of Elon

      Reply
      1. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        I was once nearly kicked out of a social chat group (one comprised of a bunch of fathers with similar interests) when I criticized the new-at-the-time Model X. I was simply attempting to balance out the gushing and near-orgasmic ravings of a Tesla fanboy, and while I can admittedly come off as a total pr!ck at times, in this instance nothing I said was in any way harsh or unsubstantiated. Enthusiasts of the marque tend to be thin-skinned where I live. They’ve obviously never owned an AMC.

        Reply
        1. crank_case Avatar
          crank_case

          Tell me about it… even the most rational technical breakdown can be taken at a very emotional level. Even among EVs, they’re aren’t really that cutting edge or forward thinking. I mean the battery/electronics/motors are great, but the base car they’re installed isn’t particularly clever in how its constructed, like say a BMW i3 is. I get that Teslas clever strategy was to make the cars desireable so going luxury first, but even their whole design philosophy/ethos seems outdated – throw more battery and more range at the problem and and excess focus on self driving to make driving in traffic less of a chore, which to me just seems to be aimed at a wrongheaded future where we continue our same dumbass patterns of commuting. I get its not Teslas job to be social architects either, but when you see young tech workers hopping on electric workers, you have to wonder if range and big batteries is a red herring and the real way forward is smaller, lighter, cheaper as people slowly get their head around the concept of a short hop vehicle that overall is vastly more efficient. It’s not like the next generation of car buyers is getting wealthier either. It’s not that millenials aren’t interested in cars, it’s that they can’t afford them.

          In Europe for example, the next round of emissions regulations (Euro7 or whatever it’s up to), will ironically, kill off the the smallest, most frugal existing small cars like the VW UP! Fiat Panda etc. because the only way to hit the target is hybridization and that’s hard to achieve in a very cheap car and make it similarly affordable, so you’ll see a lot of manufacturers ditch non EV versions of anything sub Polo or even Golf I reckon. It’s a slow de-democratization of personal transport, you either pony up for the bigger price of entry, or possibly hand over personal transport needs to the fiefdoms of Google/Waymo/Uber. I feel it’s not just something that’s being lost for us car nuts, but personal (and therefore social) mobility of lots of people in coming years.

          It seems grim, but I do see hope in the way electric motorcycles are getting better all the time and in simple neighborhood EVs. The challenge is it needs is for someone to take some of that EV motorcycle mojo, put it in a small car, make it a lot cheaper than now (without tax subsidizies), and make it quick charging (like 5 minutes for 50-100 miles) so that a generation that will likely rent in urban areas can use them. Range to me is irrelevant, the real secret is charge time. A small petrol car has small range, but quick refuelling time so no-one talks about range on an ICE. It’s a tough one, but I think whoever cracks it could be this centuries Henry Ford (in a good way, without all the dodgy stuff)

          Reply
          1. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            You make a compelling argument in favor of rapid charge versus range. I hadn’t ever really thought about it that way, but recharge time is really my primary personal reason for not wanting an EV.

      2. Victor Avatar
        Victor

        I have no use for the product but admire the initiative.

        Reply
        1. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          The initiative is admittedly impressive. I think Elon Musk is an egotistical kook and somewhat of a DB, but he’s undoubtedly brilliant. My big issue with the Tesla business model is the design of the product strictly as a luxury performance vehicle. I think if Teslas were sort of a modern Type 1 “car for the people”, with average but acceptable performance, humble designs, and lower price tags, and with a technological focus on efficiency instead of blazing acceleration, then they would be received with more widespread enthusiasm and less nitpicking.

          Reply
        2. Zentropy Avatar
          Zentropy

          The initiative is admittedly impressive. I think Elon Musk is an egotistical kook and somewhat of a DB, but he’s undoubtedly brilliant. My big issue with the Tesla business model is the design of the product strictly as a luxury performance vehicle. I think if Teslas were sort of a modern Type 1 “car for the people”, with average but acceptable performance, humble designs, and lower price tags, and with a technological focus on efficiency instead of blazing acceleration, then they would be received with more widespread enthusiasm and less nitpicking.

          Reply
          1. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            Car of the people ≠ EV at this point, although if you are saying build a Tesla version of the Leaf/Bolt then fair enough.

            The autonomous aspect is a whole other area though, and I think Tesla/Musk are being fairly irresponsible with over-hyping their tech and pushing it out before it is ready, leading people to mis-use it and suffer the consequences.

          2. crank_case Avatar
            crank_case

            I think true “peoples car” EVs need to have an entry point even lower than a Leaf/Bolt without subsidies (which I’m sure will go away at some point if the powers that be get their way and pretty much ban new ICE sales). A Leaf may have low running costs, but the entry point for these are a Bolt, even with varying levels of state subsidies depending on country, still manage to be significantly more expensive than something like a Honda Fit, which itself is pretty pricey for what it is. I really feel there isn’t enough concrete evidence of a real push for stuff at the low end, but maybe that plays into car makers hands in the long run – less volume, more margin? I mean you keep seeing these articles posted by EVangelists where “Analysts” show you some graphs and predict by “insert year here” electric cars will be cheaper than ICE, but I see no real evidence of it.

            Maybe the death of tiny cheap hatchbacks has less resonance for US readers where 16 year olds can afford to drive Mustangs, but that won’t last forever. 🙁

          3. outback_ute Avatar
            outback_ute

            Agreed. No subsidiaries in Australia, which I agree with as I think we should keep our powder dry until EVs are more commercially viable. Fundamentally batteries still cost too much.

          4. Zentropy Avatar
            Zentropy

            EVs won’t gain an advantage in the US as long as fuel prices are low. I’d buy a Fit over a Bolt or Leaf, no contest.

      3. Zentropy Avatar
        Zentropy

        I was once nearly kicked out of a social chat group (one comprised of a bunch of fathers with similar interests) when I criticized the new-at-the-time Model X. I was simply attempting to balance out the gushing and near-orgasmic ravings of a Tesla fanboy, and while I can admittedly come off as a total pr!ck at times, in this instance nothing I said was in any way harsh or unsubstantiated. Enthusiasts of the marque tend to be thin-skinned where I live. They’ve obviously never owned an AMC.

        Reply
    3. Lokki Avatar
      Lokki

      Why is every Tesla flaw reported? It’s like reporting on who Marilyn Monroe kissed. Lots of other people were kissing too, but so what?

      Reply
  3. Zentropy Avatar
    Zentropy

    Focus RS. Well, I guess it’s discontinued, so forget that.

    Reply
  4. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Mid engine Vette.

    https://cdn.drivingline.com/media/2312377/corvette2.jpg

    Reply
  5. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    Throw in some AWD open differentials, a set of Mickey Thompsons and a couple cocktail holders and hit the links!!!

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d652e409e0c01ccddf504091e79e376a2f49233761ffc1262351c2f1326a1935.jpg

    Reply
    1. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Similar to an Ariel Nomad, but you would want to strengthen the chassis first. Remember they were designed by Colin Chapman!

      Reply
    2. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      If you wanted AWD, the Se7en type car to start with is the Dax Rush. Not sure they’re made anymore, but as with all things in UK kit cars, you’ll probably find the designs been sold to someone else and they’re making it now. Designed to take Sierra Cosworth running gear and I believe they had a clever suspension design that minimised camber change under cornering. I’m pretty sure another kit maker did a Subaru based car too.
      https://passionford.com/forum/attachments/restorations-rebuilds-and-projects/102974d1501884623-dax-rush-cosworth-img_1073.jpg

      Reply
  6. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    Does this count?

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/699a4999f4d7317a540e59c90a993d468b49a93b7ba11583ecc61999a8494d9b.jpg

    Reply
  7. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    I know it’s perhaps not entirely in the spirit of the question as no real conversion is needed apart from some off road tyres, but 4wd Suzuki Carrys and other Kei trucks are still sold new in asia, and when you think about more utility oriented than leisure ATVs, can be argued to be better ATVs than actual ATVs, more civilized with a proper cabin, and in some cases cheaper, which is why even in places where they’re not road legal, some enterprising personal importers market them as an alternative to quads or John Deere Gators

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca610e9b228c2bbd5b3eb2846c2e9b7357846f79b3f3a6dd3150a1bac2c0b4e1.jpg

    Reply
    1. Zentropy Avatar
      Zentropy

      My neighbor and I have joked about importing one of the older ones to use as a shared local runabout.

      Reply
      1. crank_case Avatar
        crank_case

        If you’ve got a decent plot of land, like say a farm that’s big enough to justify a quad/gator, they actually do make sense in terms of purchase/running cost. I don’t know about the legalities of importing sub 25 years to the US for non-road use, but you could probably pick up a used Carry/Sambar/Hijet cheap enough via personal if it’s not yet in that magic 25 year band of attracting US “this is gonna be so cool at the cars and coffee” collector tax.*

        *yes, this from someone that owns a Cappuccino.

        Reply
        1. SlowJoeCrow Avatar
          SlowJoeCrow

          There are companies selling new Kei trucks for offroad only use, and used Hijets, Actys et al are typically $4-6k and easily registered in most states. One of the dealers near me even had a Daihatsu jumbo cab, with extra legroom for Gaijin.

          Reply
  8. Vairship Avatar
    Vairship

    They already did! https://assets.hemmings.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/104-700×394.jpg

    https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2016/06/02/is-citroens-2cv-4×4-sahara-the-most-innovative-off-roader-ever-built/

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/cars/2017/03/28/TELEMMGLPICT000123492270_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqyuLFFzXshuGqnr8zPdDWXiTUh73-1IAIBaONvUINpkg.jpeg?imwidth=1240

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classic/rare-twin-engined-four-wheel-drive-citroen-2cv-goes-hammer/

    Reply