The Honda Element Is Reportedly Coming Back With Hybrid Power To Reclaim The Boxy Car Throne

For a chunk of time in the 2000s and early 2010s, it was at least ironically hip to drive something square. Think Scion xB and Nissan Cube, weird and unashamedly boxy cars trading on pure practicality. With the demise of the Kia Soul, the American market is devoid of new toaster cars, but possibly not for long. A new report from Automotive News claims that the Honda Element is coming back from the dead with hybrid power.

Production of the new Element is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2029 in central Ohio, people with knowledge of the plan told Automotive News.

The plant will serve as the sole global production hub, with Honda targeting nearly 100,000 vehicles in the first full year of output, the people said.

The Element was a weird car. According to the product brief, Honda wanted to cook up something that would appeal to young Generation Y men and, um, “more aggressive females.” In short, non-conformists into partying, extreme sports, and staying active. This resulted in the gloriously unhinged slide you see below.

Yes, seriously. From the low-res X-Games insert to the phrase “three reality principle” appearing on the same page as “What’s going on in the Mountain Dew Airstream?”, I couldn’t have made this up if I tried. However, Honda ran with it and produced an absolutely fascinating crossover.

Riding on CR-V bones, the Element was wonderfully abnormal. It had half-sized, rear-hinged rear doors like an extended cab pickup truck, a split tailgate, and an available moonroof for stargazing because the seats folded flat into a bed. Or, if you needed more space, you could hang the rear seats against the sides of the cargo area and enjoy enough height to transport a sportbike inside the crossover. Initially, the fenders were unpainted molded-in-color plastic so you could lean your mountain bike against them, and rubberized flooring ensured easy wipe-down. [Ed note: WIPE down, not HOSE down – Pete]

The end result was a cult classic, one that never sold in truly massive volumes but filled certain use cases extremely well. Older buyers loved it because it was so easy to get in and out of, you know. People with dogs loved the ease of cleaning, camper conversions exist for the outdoorsy, and the tall cargo area was great for all sorts of gear. The Element was a nifty idea, and it now seems ready to come into its prime.

In the 15-ish years since the Element was discontinued, a lot has changed. The compact crossover utility vehicle is now just the normal style of car, having long since taken over from the midsize sedan. Boxy is in, cladding is back, and the sheer buyer pool now exists to sustain a second compact crossover if it’s different enough from say, the CR-V. What’s more, the Automotive News report is making an unusual claim about the future Element:

Positioned between the subcompact HR-V and the compact CR-V, the revived Element is expected to appeal to younger buyers and urban adventurers.

Could this mean we’re in for a cheaper C-segment Honda crossover with the added boon of hybrid efficiency? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess. A lot can change in three years, but it seems that Element fans might finally be getting the second generation they’ve craved. Now if you’ll excuse me, I feel the sudden urge to air up the tires on my BMX and blast some SR-71.

Top graphic image: Honda