Anyone who says things are going to the dogs should first check out this pet-friendly version of the Honda Element, on sale next autumn.
We expect we’ll continue to hear the one-liners for some time.
“I’ve always wanted to do a real dog-and-pony show,” suggested Honda PR-meister Sage Marie. “The New York Auto Show is really going to the dogs,” chimed in a colleague.
What triggered the puns? The Japanese automaker’s introduction of a pet-friendly version of its boxy van-alternative, the Element.
Last year, at the Tokyo Motor Show, an event legendary for its wild and wacky concept vehicle, Honda unveiled the WOW, or Wonderful Openhearted Wagon, concept, which was designed to make it easy – and safe – to travel with your pets. No sooner had the Japanese press conference ended before “People started calling to see when we would bring it here,” says James Jenkins, a senior Honda product planner, in the U.S..
That got Jenkins and his team thinking, especially when they did some homework and discovered that Americans are spending $41 billion annually on their pets, a figure expected to continue growing quite rapidly. And it led them to the idea for the new “Dog Friendly Element,” which will be introduced next autumn.
Among other things, it’s equipped with washable second-row dog-pattern seat covers and mats, and a fitted pet bed for the cargo compartment. There’s a spill-resistant water dish, a fan to keep Fido cool, and even a ramp so your pampered pooch doesn’t have to jump up or down.
Whoever said it’s a dog’s life might think twice after checking out Honda’s new bow-WOW mobile.