Honda Legend KC2 - 2018 minor change

The Honda Legend KC2 was meant to be Honda's answer to the likes of the Nissan Fuga and the Lexus GS and while the NSX-derived Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system sounds revolutionary at first, no one's really caught on because as I suspect, no one's interested in Honda's flagship saloon despite the NSX connection to it. To up the ante, a minor change was implemented, and looks like there's going to be a lot of explanation to do with Honda's flagship hybrid luxury saloon.

2018 Honda Legend

If you are aware of this, the 2018MY Honda Legend is now a Japanese equivalent of the recently facelifted Acura RLX and as hinted by the odd-looking hexagonal grille, the Jewel Eye headlamps that are not good for people with trypophobia, the redesigned front bumper, new wheels, and new rear design, you can really tell that Honda did spoil the good looks of the Legend in the same way Ford did with their Mustang. Yes, the pre-facelifted design looks nice but the facelifted design looks horrible to many.

2018 Honda Legend interior

2018 Honda Legend interior

The interior is still the same as the pre-facelifted Legend but refined with some added materials to keep it fresh. You are still greeted with the annoying dual-screen dashboard, some buttons in place of a gear lever, the Krell 14-speaker Audio System, head-up display system, and so on but still, you will have that "out on a limo" feeling when you experience its level of luxury.

2018 Honda Legend

Like its American equivalent, the 2018MY Legend's SH-AWD has been recalibrated for better dynamics but still, it has the same 3.5L i-VTEC V6 direct-injected engine mated with three electric motors that produce 314PS of power and 371Nm of torque while mated with a 7-speed DCT and torque vectoring. Fuel economy is still at 16.4 km/l by soon-to-be-outdated JC08 mode standards.

For safety, the Legend comes with Honda Sensing uite of safety tech such as a Collision Mitigation Braking System with automatic emergency braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Road Departure Mitigation.

The 2018 Honda Legend starts at 7,074,000 Japanese Yen and while the price sounds expensive for a Honda saloon, you can still afford one compared to the Lexus GS450h but why bother? There were only a few people interested in buying a Honda Legend and despite its new look, the status quo remains the same for now.

Available Colors: Majestic Black Pearl, Premium Crystal Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Super Platinum Metallic, Gilded Pewter Metallic, Premium Deep Rosso Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, and Obsidian Blue Pearl.

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

6th Gen Ford Mustang (2018 minor change) and Acura RLX (2018 minor change)

Facelifts, in automotive terms, a facelift is considered an improvement to a current generation model with some upgraded looks, features, and more. While some facelifted vehicles look as nice as a polite neighborhood, there are some facelifted cars that others said they have completely spoiled the once good looks and in this unscripted article, time to jot down with the not so prettiest facelifted vehicles on the market today, beginning with the Ford Mustang.

2018 Ford Mustang

2018 Ford Mustang Convertible

When Ford launched the sixth generation Mustang, the world rejoiced because for the first time, everybody in the world gets one because of its modern muscle car looks, modern interior, a choice of engines, and a new independent suspension that now behaves like a proper sportscar should. Now, with the 2018MY minor change, looks like the folks completely done it by spoiling the once good looks of the car and when they first showed it to the world, some would say it's disgusting, they prefer the pre-facelifted one better, and it is sad-looking. Yes, I keep hearing what they said about the recent minor change, even trying to convince that they borrow Darth Vader's looks won't cut it because like they said, it's sad looking. Although unimpressed by how it looks, the 2018MY Mustang still has that one horrifying feature and it's those rear indicators that when flickered, the indicators are sequentially flashing and that is as horrible as a butt crack. No one would want to see the back of the Mustang on the road because this is the last time they'll ever see one showing its butt on public. places.

On the inside, the Mustang now dons a digital instrumental panel with a customizable gauge layout that makes it as unique as personalizing your own tumblr page. Nifty, you see.

Under the hood, the Mustang now only offers a choice of a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine and a newly improved 5.0L V8 engine that now churns out 460 HP of power and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, which is not bad, but get this; in addition to the 6-speed MT, both models are mated with an optional 10-speed gearbox like the one that you've experienced on the Ford F-150 Raptor and that sounds like overkill for a Mustang to possess a double-digit gear that thinks it can behave like a Fast and Furious gearbox but still you can never have too many gears for this. Also, the handling is now even better than ever thanks to the MagneRide Damping System inherited from the Ford Performance lineup.

Oh, and did I mention that the 2018MY Mustang now comes with a wide array of safety tech such as Pre-Collision Assist with pedestrian detection, distance alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and Driver Alert System. Now that's a creepy way to put it in a sportscar like that.

The 2018MY Mustang starts at 25,585 US Dollars (Php 1.3M) and it comes in coupe and cabriolet. Let's admit it that despite its ugly looks, they never spoil most of the party pieces that made the Mustang great, even the V8 engine that now comes with added grunt.

Come on, if you all think the 2018MY Mustang is all ugly, perhaps take a look at an even more ugly offering, this time from Acura.

2018 Acura RLX

Like the Ford Mustang, the recent minor change of the Acura RLX did spoiled the once good looks by giving it a massive hexagonal grille that plagued the MDX and the TLX and that grille is as big as Diego's lips at least. If the grille wasn't the least of your problems, those who had trypophobia should better look away from the lamps now because the Jewel Eye headlamps still had the expression that it's got too many holes a person who has trypophobia feels like his skin is crawling. Ugly indeed that is but on the inside, there are just minimal changes around here such as the steering wheel.

Still, for a premium luxury sedan, it's rather not bad to get accommodated with because it kind of reminds you of the Audi A6 in so little ways and if you're trying to brave the RLX's ugly styling that scares away people with trypophobia, it's like a walk in the park.

The RLX's drivetrain has been slightly improved like for instance, the one with the 310HP V6 engine Precision All Wheel Steer is now mated with a 10-speed gearbox like you get in the Ford Mustang and it's okay because this is a premium saloon, it won't count being an overkill to possess so much gears. Then, the flagship Sport Hybrid variant featuring the 3.5L i-VTEC V6 direct-injected engine mated with three electric motors has been recalibrated for better dynamics.

Yes, the Sport Hybrid variant with its SH-AWD draws inspiration from the NSX hybrid supercar that we all like but even with some minor touches, it still feels like it shares nothing in common with it but it is very good to drive in all sorts of road conditions even in the wet and with the good parts such as the 7-speed DCT and torque vectoring, this RLX would still eat the A6 in a country club while wearing pajamas.

Also, the 2018MY RLX still comes with the AcuraWatch suite of safety tech such as Collision Mitigation Braking System with automatic emergency braking, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Road Departure Mitigation.

The 2018MY RLX starts at 54,900 US Dollars (Php 2.732M) and while it continues to be lamented by many because of such ugly looks, it still ticks all the best spots a premium saloon offered and in the case of the hybrid variant, it's not half bad at all apart from the recalibrated SH-AWD.

So, the moral of this unscripted article? Well, despite the latest versions of the Mustang and the RLX are a tad ugly to look at, they still work their magic to cater every customers' desires and I think there's a bit of something we can all learn here.

Photo: Ford, Acura

Honda New Legend (KC2)

2015 Honda Legend

The Legend has served as the flagship saloon of Honda and its been around for four generations since the first one was launched in 1985. 2015 is the Honda Legend's 30th birthday and to celebrate the occasion, well, after three years since the previous Legend was discontinued, it's back and this time, it's a hybrid premium saloon that features a next-gen hybrid powertrain that the next NSX supercar will have. Ah yes. The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system.

There's more to it than just the revolutionary Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system because here on the brand new Legend, it features the first-ever Honda Sensing safety system, the advanced heads-up display system, the new Krell 14-speaker Audio System, and much more. Let's talk about the key points later but first, the design.

2015 Honda Legend

2015 Honda Legend interior

As observed, this is the Japanese version of the Acura RLX sold in North America so by the looks of it, the hideous-looking exterior is highly similar to its North American cousin, especially the Jewel Eye headlamps that make people won't go to eat dinner tonight after their prolonged exposure with these headlamps. Those headlamps are not made for those who had Trypophobia. I know...

On the inside, there goes that annoying dual-screen dashboard where the second screen is made for touching and the first screen is made for viewing. There's no gear lever present here and it's been replaced with some buttons where when the driver pressed the D button, it really sets to Drive. That sounds high-tech but I have bigger doubts about this so-called clever shifting mechanism that makes gear levers a thing of the past.

The seats are rather comfortable, especially at the rear seats where your boss will most likely feel comfy and the rear legroom is not so bad for a flagship saloon of this caliber.

The Krell 14-speaker Audio System is one of the key points of the Legend's interior and utilizing their know-how from their home theater systems, the expansive audio experience can now be heard on the new Legend. Play in your favorite audio CD or Bluetooth connectivity with your iPhone or USB, whatever you're doing, and listen to the Krell magic do the music for you and when you listen to it, it sounds so crystal clear-ish. Not bad...unless it was spoiled by the radio's static noise.

Another key point of the new Legend's interior is the head-up display system and it displays most of the information from your car based on your driving. It can display turn-by-turn navigation, adaptive cruise control, a tachometer, speed dial, power distribution, and more. That sounds nice but sadly, the HUD is too faint to be seen on your windshield unless its getting dark outside.

2015 Honda Legend

The newly-developed Sport Hybrid SH-AWD plays a critical role in the new Legend. While essentially derived from the upcoming NSX sportscar, this powertrain not only excels at delivering 382PS of total system power output and a 16.8km/L fuel economy but its handling is unlike any other.

The 3.5L i-VTEC V6 direct-injected engine is mated with three electric motors; one at the front and two at the back. The front electric motor delivers a modest torque during hard acceleration and better fuel economy at low speeds. It also houses Honda's brand new 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. The rear electric motors, on the other hand, produce a well-balanced torque through a curve so handling is not so bad after all. That's called torque vectoring and by working together, the electric motors deliver power for standing starts, low-speed cruising, and vigorous rolling acceleration.

The new Legend is the first to come with the breakthrough Honda Sensing, a new array of driver-assistive technologies that allows the driver to sense things they might miss while driving. It features Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist System, Lane Departure Warning, and the exclusive Pedestrian Collision Mitigation Steering System. Those new arrays of safety systems keeps the Legend in charge of the road while delivering peace of mind for the occupants inside. Now that's some cleverness but drivers need to be extra careful while taking advantage of these clever features.

The new Legend starts at 6,800,000 Japanese Yen (around $70,000) which sounds more expensive than the Nissan Fuga Hybrid. When compared between these two, you will notice that the Fuga Hybrid is more fuel efficient and cheaper to own than the Legend even though they both have 7-speed DCT and 3.5L V6 engines the Legend is more unique than the Fuga because it has the most power and it has four-wheel drive so choosing between these two is a risky gamble and the odds of choosing one is slim because there are so many things to consider about these two but for me, the new Legend is the all-rounder of the two. Although the looks are bothersome, the hybrid powertrain is what got my thoughts and hearts into thinking that this NSX-derived powertrain will give us hope.

Available colors: White Orchid Pearl, Super Platinum Metallic, Graphite Luster Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Pomegranate Pearl, and Gilded Pewter Metallic.

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda to stop producing Legend and Accord Inspire

2012 Acura RLX Concept

2012 Honda Accord Coupe Concept

Breaking news! It appears that Honda Motor Co., Ltd will stop producing two luxury sedans by next month to allocate compact cars and minivehicles. Says here that Honda will stop producing the Honda Legend (known as the Acura RL in the States) at the end of June and the Honda Inspire (known in North American and Asian markets as the Honda Accord) this July! This is bad news, folks, this is bad news. We won't be seeing the Honda Legend or that CP3 Honda Accord Inspire again because they'll be dead. Yep. They'll be dead.

What about the production version of the Acura RLX? Some say that Honda has yet to decide to produce a production version of the Acura RLX sedan to its North American facility when a remodeled version is introduced next year.

Scoop:  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120617b1.html 

Scoop:  http://carview.co.jp/news/2/167625/

So, what do you think? Post your comments below!