Small cars and high mileage was certainly the theme of the LA Auto Show. Compacts such as the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 stole the show, while hybrids from Chevrolet, BMW, and others also received plenty of attention. But of course Honda has never had any shortage of small compacts to showoff, which made L.A. the ideal locale to highlight its P-NUT concept vehicle.
The Honda P-NUT is a small car designed for urban city-dwellers. In addition to its compact size, the P-NUT puts the driver in the center of the vehicle for maximum visibility, while two passengers can sit behind on either side.
Although it has a rear-wheel drive configuration, the engine bay can be modified for a range of engines including a conventional, compact gasoline engine, a hybrid-electric system, or even a full electric system.
As unusual as this vehicle may seem, the Honda P-NUT is part of a growing trend towards microcars and ultra compact vehicles for the urban commuter. Vehicles such as the upcoming Toyota iQ, which has already received inquiries at Torrance Toyota, are certainly going to become prevalent in the next few years, and Honda will no doubt find itself at the forefront of this trend.
Sadly, the Honda P-NUT is a true concept vehicle and lacks many crucial mechanical systems. This vehicles does not seem destined for production, but with a recent emphasis on subcompacts and even microcars, elements of the P-NUT design could certainly end up in Honda showrooms in the next several years.
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Press Release:
Honda ‘Personal-Neo Urban Transport’ Concept Demonstrates Potential for Ultra-compact City-focused Vehicle
12/02/2009 – LOS ANGELES - The Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) design study model demonstrates a futuristic concept for an ultra-compact and sophisticated city coupe, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Conceived around a small “footprint” for maximum convenience in tight urban settings, the packaging concept integrates a center driving position configuration and a rear powertrain layout. The exterior styling leverages crisp angles with dynamic flowing lines that originate from the front of the vehicle and span outward toward the rear. The end result is a sleek and aggressive exterior that also allows for a spacious and open interior with excellent visibility.
The exterior styling is intended to capture a future direction for premium sophistication while balancing the need for maximum interior space and an aerodynamic appearance. The interior layout, in conjunction with the rear powertrain design, contributes prominently to the exterior’s overall shape.
The layout of the interior space, with its center driving position flanked by two rear seats, provides generous legroom for all occupants, roughly the equivalent of a mid-sized sedan in a vehicle that has an exterior footprint similar to a micro car. Interior functionality is increased by rear seating areas that fold up and out of the way to increase storage capacity. The windshield serves as a heads-up display for the navigation system and the back-up camera.
The modular rear engine bay, depicted on the exterior by blue composite material, is designed to accommodate a wide variety of potential propulsion technologies including a conventional small displacement internal combustion engine, a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain, or a battery-electric powertrain.
“The objective of the exterior and interior designers was to explore the potential for a new type of small-segment-category vehicle that overcomes many of the objections for existing micro-car designs,” said Marek. “While the Honda P-NUT concept introduces function-oriented concepts, it also shows that small cars don’t have to compromise on style or amenities.”
The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Los Angeles developed the P-NUT design study model. Honda R&D Americas began its operations in California in 1975 with local market research activities and has steadily grown its capabilities over the past 33 years to include all aspects of new vehicle research, design and development. Recent Honda-brand efforts include trend-setting products such as the Pilot, Ridgeline, Element, Civic Coupe and Civic Si Coupe.
Specifications
Size class: Ultra-compact
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Passengers: 3
Length: 3,400 mm
Width: 1,750 mm
Height: 1,439 mm
Powertrain: Internal-combustion engine, hybrid-electric or battery-electric
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