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The box is back. Or, it will be, but in three years.
Honda fans and Element cultists can rejoice because on Wednesday Automotive News reported the Honda Element will be revived as a hybrid crossover arriving in 2029.
The new Element is reportedly going to be a major player for the Japanese automaker with a target of nearly 100,000 sales for the first full year of production. That’s just 35,000 units shy of Ford Bronco Sport sales in 2025.
Honda showrooms are about to get crowded with small crossover SUVs with the Element slotting between the HR-V and CR-V.
AN said production of the new Element is expected to commence in Central Ohio in the second quarter of 2029. Honda was planning on building its new Zero Series family of EVs in Ohio before pulling the plug on the program at the eleventh hour.
With the pivot away from EVs Honda said its making hybrids the core of its business. The automaker is preparing to launch a new clean-sheet V6-based hybrid powertrain for all its midsize and large models.
The Elements return will come 18 years after the iconic nameplate died. The original only had a one-generation run that lasted nearly a decade with a single mild refresh.
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As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.
