New 2010 Honda Element: Dog Tested Man Approved

Dog lovers can rejoice. Honda Motor Company has just revealed it's new and improved dog friendly Honda Element utility vehicle at the recent New York Auto Show.

The new Honda Element comes complete with several dog and pet convenience features for the dedicated pet owner. The Honda Element comes with a cushioned bed for your loved ones to curl up on for those long drives, and is now equipped with a built in water and food bowl. There is a small fan as well in the seating area to help keep your pet cool. Perhaps this will keep Fido from trying to poke his head into the drivers seat for the window or cold air conditioner vents.

For those of us who have older pets that can't get around or make the jump up into the car anymore, the Honda Element also comes with an easy to use light weight ramp which can help older dogs easily get in and out of the car.

Keeping your animals safe and your new Honda Elements interior clean are two other priorities in the design of this utility vehicle. The Element features a fitted dog bed with safety belts that easily snap into place to secure them in case of an accident. As an added bonus all of the seats have been treated at the factory to make them stain resistant. The Element also includes easy to wash seat covers for the occasional accident on the road.

Other changes to the new 2010 Honda Element include a newly designed front end grille. The newly designed grille was first introduced on the 2009 Honda Pilot, but will be all new for the 2010 Element. The newly designed front end has a defined more mature look then previous years. The front head lamps are larger and the love them or hate them side body moldings have been reduced in size. The Element will keep it's 2.4L VTEC engine in it's 4 cylinder variant, and will also have the optional four wheel drive.

In addition to the pet friendly features introduced for 2010, the Honda Element will also offer new bells and whistles at an added cost such as an integrated navigation system, new color stylings, and a cooling fridge to keep small beverages and food cool on long trips.

As of this preview pricing information has not been released on the new 2010 Honda Element, but expectations are that the vehicle will remain in it's current price range starting at around $20,000 USD.

Additional Resources:

Honda Motor Company

New York Auto Show