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Honda Legend EX
It has to break the badge barrier
It’s not often I actually crash the car in my efforts to uncover its full
abilities. But I did last week: I got into this new Honda Legend and
deliberately drove it into a solid object at 40mph.
The reason I am writing this in my office rather than A&E is that at no
time was I in danger. I was trying out Honda’s latest bit of technological
trickery: CMBS, or Collision Mitigation Braking System.
Which works like this: let us say your mind is not quite as focused on your
driving as it should be. Maybe you’re rummaging in the glovebox, trying to
stop the third world war in the back seat or, worse, have nodded off. The
Legend can see the car in front and when it reckons you’re closing on it too
fast it will start bleeping and flashing lights at you.
If it then figures there’s a reasonable chance you’re going to crash, it will
tighten your seatbelt and, just before impact becomes inevitable, slam on
the brakes. You’ll still crash (in my case into a spring-loaded ball)
because Honda would find itself with liability issues if it removed all
control from the driver, but it might well drop the speed sufficiently to
save your life.
Think that’s impressive? It’s only the beginning. The Legend not only brakes
by itself, it steers by itself, too, thanks to ADAS or Advanced Driver
Assist. It knows when it’s on the motorway and will adjust the steering to
make sure you stay exactly in the middle of your lane. In theory you need to
have at least one hand on the wheel for the system to remain active, but in
practice the lightest touch, or even a regular tap to let it know you’re
still there, will have it steer you up the motorway until the tank runs dry.
And when you leave the motorway and put its 291bhp 3.5 litre engine through
its paces on a country lane, it still keeps an eye on you and will step in
to save you from yourself. This is thanks to a four-wheel-drive system
unlike any other. Not only will it vary the power to the front and rear
wheels according to need, it will do so while regulating the torque fed to
each rear wheel, which Honda claims is a first.
Forget the technicalities, the effect is that just as you expect the nose to
slide wide, grip is miraculously restored, allowing the car to maintain its
chosen trajectory. Push it too hard and you’ll eventually find a speed at
which it’ll fly off the road, but as safety nets go it’s one of the more
impressive.
Yet for all its technological trickery the Legend still enters the executive
car market like a pussycat into a cage of tigers. Honda knows it has no hope
of persuading what it calls Corporate Conformists into abandoning their
BMWs. The last Legend was a sales disaster and while the new car is a much
more competitive proposition, Honda expects to coax sales of just 400 a year
from a UK pool of 1.2m prospective buyers, showing how realistic it is being
about its potential in such a badge-conscious marketplace.
But those that do buy it may find themselves pleasantly surprised. The Legend
is not without problems — the ride quality is poorer than you’d hope for a
car in this class, the fussy interior design lags far behind the standards
set by the likes of Audi, and it has a mighty thirst. But its engine is
strong, its handling engaging and the cabin is spacious and quiet.
Even so, for the Respected Individualists (to use more of Honda’s
market-speak) who will buy it, its greatest appeal will be in what it is
not: specifically a BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz.
You may still ask why Honda is entering the executive express market when it
knows it will be clobbered. The fact is the company knows its future lies in
raising its image to the level of these German quality constructors, because
that’s where fat profits are made these days.
But unlike Toyota, which came to the same conclusion years ago and launched
Lexus, Honda wants the stardust sprinkled across all its cars by using its
own brand name.
If all the Legend does is establish a toehold, a credible presence among such
opposition, Honda’s efforts will not have been in vain. The Legend is not a
great car, but unlike its predecessor it’s good enough, just, to achieve
that goal.
THE OPPOSITION
Model BMW 530i SE £33,040
For Smooth and powerful engine, handling, residuals
Against Poor ride quality, iDrive operating system, looks
Model Lexus GS 300 SE £36,305
For Alternative take on an executive saloon, well built
Against Lacks image, engine needs more low-down shove