For decades, hydrogen cars have been treated as science experiments in the same whimsical and far-off league as cars powered by algae, compost, or french fry oil. But Honda is on its way to proving that fuel cells can look and feel like typical automobiles.
Honda introduced the FCX, the world’s first production fuel cell vehicle, in 2002 and began leasing the model to a few individual retail customers in 2005. The FCX Clarity was next in line, available beginning in 2008. When it was discontinued in 2014, Hyundai was bringing out its Tucson Fuel Cell, and Toyota was gearing up to launch its own dedicated hydrogen car, the Mirai. Now we’ve come full circle. The Clarity is set to launch again for its second generation. The first new models were delivered to customers in December, and it’s good timing for Honda. A few dozen hydrogen stations now span across California, all the way from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area. You couldn’t say that a few months ago.
Learn about Honda’s future-car hybrid plans HERE.
Having spent a good amount of time in the other two fuel cell vehicles on the market, I was anxious to see how the Clarity would measure up. We had driven the Clarity for a brief time on the proving ground, but Honda also invited us to take the fuel cell out on real roads by its North American headquarters in Torrance, California. It was another short drive, but we spent enough time in the Clarity to gain a sense of its personality.
Inside, the Clarity’s design is noticeably more subdued than the Mirai and its touch-centered futuristic cabin. Open the doors, and you’ll gain a sense of familiarity in Honda’s infotainment system, electronic push-button gearshift, seat materials, and instrumentation. That said, you’re also greeted with a few special touches that are unique to the Clarity and give it a warm, semiluxurious feel. Suede accents adorn the doors and dashboard, and a floating center console opens up plenty of potential storage space between the front seats. The Clarity feels a bit more spacious in the rear than the Mirai and not just because it offers five seats instead of four. Headroom is sufficient, and passengers have room in the back to stretch their legs. We also found no problems with visibility when driving.
Put simply, if the Mirai drives like a Prius, the Clarity resembles an Accord. The Clarity exhibits a similar driving feel to other Honda sedans, from its balanced steering to the way it handles potholes and unruly road surfaces. Like what you’d expect from a vehicle with regenerative braking, the brakes aren’t celery-crisp. But there’s a clear engagement point when dipping into the friction brakes, a quality the Mirai lacks.
The Clarity produces less of that whine noise than you’d expect in a hydrogen vehicle when the air compressor funnels air into the fuel cell. If you press down on the accelerator as hard as you can, it’s surprisingly quiet and unobtrusive. The car isn’t without other sounds, though; you can hear a bit of the symphony of the road as well as residual water being pumped out, which sounds like somebody’s taking a shower upstairs. Quiet yet spirited, the Clarity knows how to scuttle on city streets. In and out of Sport mode, it feels quick right off the line, much like the Mirai. We’d like to find out in future drives if it has the same gusto on a full 0–60 run.
Honda says it will offer the Clarity through lease during the first year and then consider the prospect of retail sales. The Clarity boasts an EPA driving range of 366 miles on a single fill-up. That’s more than the 312 miles offered by the Mirai and 265 miles on the Tucson Fuel Cell. It’s another item we’ll have to test for ourselves. The Clarity has left us wanting more, and that’s always a good sign.
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