Recently, in an interview with Automotive Europe News, Daisuke Tsutamori, creative director and general manager of Honda's electric vehicle design department, said: "When it comes to electric vehicles, in China you have seen further refinement of styling, but it is very superficial, and Honda wants to launch some models that are simpler, more essential, and look more premium.
This is not the first time that Japanese executives have questioned domestic electric vehicles, after Sony Honda Mobility President Izumi Kawanishi also said that Chinese manufacturers in terms of information technology, just arrange smartphone icons, products should evolve to predict human thinking and provide high-quality services. However, the first model of Sony's cooperation with Honda will not be delivered until 2026, and Izumi Kawanishi understands that it is advanced, and we will definitely not be able to experience it in the short term.
But what is certain is that today's technology is rapidly iterating, and by 2026, the car machine system of domestic cars will obviously be updated, which does not seem to make much sense at today's standards.
The remarks of the creative director and general manager of Honda's electric vehicle design department are actually similar. The essence and premium of its belief is the Saloon, an all-electric concept car unveiled at CES, a production version that will be launched in 2026 and will retain 90% of the concept design, positioning it as a flagship model.
To be honest, even if you don't compare with the design of Chinese car companies, compared with the flagship sedans of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, whether it is fuel or pure electric, the styling design of the Honda Saloon is quite avant-garde and individual, breaking the shape of the traditional sedan, but we don't evaluate the beauty and ugliness, this still has to wait until the new car is launched, and it will be answered by consumers and sales.
It is worth mentioning that the style of the Saloon has a similar silhouette to the Kiwami concept, which debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2003 and has been around for more than 20 years. From Toyota, Honda to Nissan, the progress of the Japanese three giants on pure electric vehicles, most of them are planning and technical forecasts, and the official debut time is concentrated in 2026-2028.