Honda unveils dog-friendly car
 

Honda unveils dog-friendly car



NEW YORK (Reuters) – Dog-crazy Americans will soon be able to buy a pet-friendly car with a cushioned dog bed in the trunk, fitted with a built-in water bowl and fan and a ramp to help less agile dogs climb in.


With the help of a rescue dog named Sammy, Japanese car maker Honda Motor Co unveiled the pet friendly version of its Element utility vehicle at the New York Auto Show.


It features easy-wash seat covers, a fitted dog bed with restraints to keep Sammy safe in the event of a crash, and a paw logo on the side. Honda said the car would go on sale across the United States from the fall of this year.


Honda spokesman Sage Marie said it was designed with both safety and comfort in mind. "(It's) a car we think is of interest to many of today's dog-crazy consumers," he said.


Senior product planner James Jenkins said Americans spend $41 billion a year on their pets, a figure forecast to rise to $52 billion in two years, indicating a big market for the car.


"Pets have become more like family, more important to households than ever before," Jenkins said.


The current model of the Element starts at a little over $20,000 and Honda has yet to determine how much the pet friendly features will add on to the price tag, Jenkins said.


Sammy's owner, Heather Cammisa of the Humane Society of the United States, said she had borrowed the car for two weeks and found the ramp especially useful.


"Sammy actually needs a ramp. Before I adopted him he ended up at a shelter having been hit by a car and he needs that ramp," she said. "Otherwise I lift him to get into my car.
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That sounds interesting. I'll have to look for it when I go to the New York Auto Show next weekend.

Nice that they are thinking about our pets --- but in the trunk???? I wouldn't dream of putting my dogs in the trunk even with a bed and a fan.

If they are realizing that pets are becoming more like family, I think they would realize that people would not want to stow them like luggage.

Hmm I'd be weary about putting them in the trunk.
To me the actual seats seem a lot safer to me, but that's just what I think.

I guess I'd have to see the car and the way it's set up to give a better opinion.

I love the looks of the Element!! It can fit two crates in the back side by side. Great for dog shows!! I dont know what or where the "trunk" is. The ones I have looked at dont have a trunk.

The Honda Element doesn't have a "trunk" per se. It's a SUV like car but I believe it has a normal car engine. It's a boxy design so it's an open trunk just like a SUV's. Currently, it's marketed with a pull down back/trunk door where you can add the option of a backing so if you were the outdoorsy kind, you can just park your car and sit on the back/trunk door like a bench with the addon back rest. I've seen plenty of people keep their large breeds at the back area of their SUV and wagons. So it's the same idea. I can't imagine having a small breed ride back there though. Except when it's parked and used as a recreation vehicle, I can see leaving the trunk open/down for the dog to go in/out up and down the ramp on its own to use as its own bedroom/tent.

With all that said, even if I had considered purchasing a Honda Element, I would probably not opt to pay a premium for the "pet features". I can build my own ramp for less money or improvise for free. And probably put a bed there I like better or just use a crate at the back for the same purpose. I definitely wouldn't want a waterbowl attached to the car. It can become quite messy or unsanitary. :p If I were parked, I'd put the bowl outside on the floor or in the crate also. But then that's just me and I don't even have a license! LOL.

I agree with you. I love my dog, but I am not going to spend extra money on luxury pet features in my car either. All my dog needs is a car seat, leash, and a toy in my car.

Ooohhh! That makes more sense. When I read the pet area was in the trunk, I was seeing a regular trunk and that did not make sense. But in the back area of an SUV for a larger dog or crated dogs, I guess that is a lot different. I like to keep mine where I can put my hands on them if I need to though so I still would not want them all the way in the back. We did have the crates back there when we had to evacuate for the hurricane though. I had two dogs in each crate. But I had my son in the back seat so he could calm & care for them.

Like you though, I would think I might like to make modifications on my own that would be exactly what I needed for mine instead of paying a premium price for the generic pet package. Still, someone is thinking about our lifestyles that include pet ownership. That is a plus.