When all automakers are competing with each others to produce “Best Car of the Year”, Honda did something extra this round by introducing their Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) concept. P-NUT wins for the wackiest concept recently at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.  The Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport design study model demonstrates a futuristic concept for an ultra-compact and sophisticated city coupe, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. This small car concept is build to ease tight urban navigation which at the same time provide comfort for its navigator.  The packaging concept integrates a center driving position configuration and a rear powertrain layout.

honda pnut 6

The exterior styling leverages crisp angles with dynamic flowing lines that originate from the front of the vehicle and span outward toward the rear. The end result is a sleek and aggressive exterior that also allows for a spacious and open interior with excellent balance visibility for driver at the left and right side. Back passengers may also have a good visibility of the front view, at least its doesn’t block by front passenger seat.

“A new generation is discovering the benefits of living in urban centers that provide convenient access to business, entertainment and social opportunities,” said Dave Marek, director of advanced design for Honda R&D Americas, Inc. “The Personal-Neo Urban Transport concept explores the packaging and design potential for a vehicle conceived exclusively around the city lifestyle.”

And the other smart fact about this car is it’s balance in weight from left to right, with the steering is build at the center of  the car. The layout of the interior space, with its center driving position flanked by two rear seats, provides generous legroom for all occupants, roughly the equivalent of a mid-sized sedan in a vehicle that has an exterior footprint similar to a micro car. Interior functionality is increased by rear seating areas that fold up and out of the way to increase storage capacity. The windshield serves as a heads-up display for the navigation system and the back-up camera.

honda pnut 5

The exterior styling is intended to capture a future direction for premium sophistication while balancing the need for maximum interior space and an aerodynamic appearance. The interior layout, in conjunction with the rear powertrain design, contributes prominently to the exterior’s overall shape.

The modular rear engine bay is design to support major variety of powertrain, its can use Internal-combustion engine, hybrid-electric or battery-electric powertrain.

This car is not available at market for sales because it’s purely a concept car. “The objective of the exterior and interior designers was to explore the potential for a new type of small segment category vehicle that overcomes many of the objections for existing ultra-compact designs,” said Marek. “While the Honda P-NUT concept introduces function-oriented concepts, it also shows that small cars don’t have to compromise on style or amenities.”

The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Los Angeles developed the P-NUT design study model. Honda R&D Americas began its operations in California in 1975 with local market research activities and has steadily grown its capabilities over the past 33 years to include all aspects of new vehicle research, design and development. Recent Honda-brand efforts include trend-setting products such as the Pilot, Ridgeline, Element, Civic Coupe and Civic Si Coupe.

honda pnut 4

Specifications
Size class: Ultra-compact
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Passengers: 3
Length: 3,400 mm
Width: 1,750 mm
Height: 1,439 mm
Powertrain: Internal-combustion engine, hybrid-electric or battery-electric

This entry was posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 10:12 pm and is filed under Interesting Stuff. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.