2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell
With battery powered EV’s now well on their way to being mainstream, you might wonder if hydrogen fuel cell powered electrics are still being pursued. Well, yes they are with Toyota, Hyundai, and now Honda fielding new showroom models. In Honda’s case, it’s the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedan, and it’s sure to make our look down the road ahead a lot clearer.
Back in 2008, we drove Honda’s vision for the hydrogen fuel-cell powered automotive future, the FCX Clarity. And, while everyone knew it was still a work in progress, it impressed us with its easy manners and effortless appeal.
The 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is clearly an evolution of the FCX; with the biggest improvement being the shrinking of the fuel cell stack itself, now small enough to be placed in the engine bay, along with the electric drive motor.
That leaves just two hydrogen tanks to find space for. A small one is located under the rear seats, while a larger one sits just behind them.
Output is 174-horsepower and 221 lb-ft. of torque. But best be frugal with it, as unless you live near one of the few hydrogen refueling stations in California, you don’t want to exhaust the still impressive 366-mile range too quickly. For the record, that’s more range than any battery powered EV you can buy today.
Indeed, Honda claims it’s the longest driving range of any zero-emission vehicle. Plus, fueling doesn’t take hours, but approximately five minutes.
The Clarity comes with Government Fuel Economy MPGe ratings of 69-City, 67-Highway, and 68-Combined.
During our early drive time around Santa Barbara, California; the Clarity Fuel Cell drove mostly like a pure-EV, but with power delivery that feels more linear, more like a traditional combustion powertrain. Likewise, the regen braking is not as aggressive as a battery electric, even when dialed up in sport mode. Yes, there is a sport mode.
And you can definitely detect Clarity’s 4,134–lbs. through corners, but it never feels sloppy. Rather, Honda smooth and mostly quiet, save for a few awkward whirring and air-flow noises you haven’t heard before. Honda claims to have quieted down the drive motor significantly from the FCX Clarity.
The cabin is quite nice looking; not too futuristic or even that much different from say… a Civic. But things do feel a little tighter inside, mostly because of the wide and protruding center console.
Not so in the rear seats where, with no big battery to hide, there’s plenty of both leg and head room and true 3-across seating.
Even with a hydrogen tank eating up some trunk space, there’s still a good 11.8 cubic-ft. of it.
Safety systems are also typical Honda; including Lane Keeping Assist, and Collision Mitigation braking. There’s even a Head-Up Display and Honda’s LaneWatch side view camera.
Also helping the driver keep track is an innovative Digital Graphic meter; while Apple Car Play and Android Auto are a part of the new 8.0-inch HD touchscreen display audio system.
The exterior may not appear as far into the future as it once did, but it’s clearly not your everyday sedan either.
Along with the usual LED headlights and daytime runners, the Clarity has a host of air cheating elements such as rear “air curtains”, keeping wind off the wheels, and the world’s first “air curtain ducts” on the rear doors.
Body panels are mostly aluminum. Wheels are 18-inch alloys, wearing Michelin Energy Saver tires.
As for size, its 108.3-inch wheelbase is exactly 2.0-inches longer than a Civic Sedan.
And just in case you don’t live near a hydrogen pump, Honda has announced that a plug-in hybrid, as well as their first pure-EV will soon join the Clarity lineup.
If you could buy the Clarity Fuel Cell, pricing would be $59,365; but for now, Honda is still going with a leasing only plan at $369 a month. Act now, and Honda will even throw in up to $15,000 of free fuel during your 3-year lease.
We know the current market for the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is tiny, and only in California. But in a larger sense, we’re not convinced that this wave of the future will ever crash upon our shores, as we are much further along a pure-EV path. But, Honda is not concerned with such trivialities, they’ve got innovating to do, and if we ever do get that “Hydrogen highway”, Honda, and the Clarity Fuel Cell, will be at the head of the lane.
Specifications
- Horsepower: 174
- Torque: 221 lb-ft.
- EPA: 69 MPGe city / 67 MPGe highway,
2024 BMW X2
The X1’s Dynamic Alter Ego Gets Bigger and Better
It seems like everyone in the SUV world is trying to out-rugged one another. But over at BMW, they just keep doing what they do: Making stylish, high-performance sports activity vehicles, and even making them more attainable. This latest BMW X2 is proof of that.
At first glance, the 2024 BMW X2 Compact Sports Activity Coupe looks like the more dynamic platform-mate to the BMW X1. Afterall, the X1 utility is just so boring it needed the help. Weel, that’s not at all true, of course, but BMW is the brand that spearheaded the whole coupe-like SUV movement and continues to spread that theme throughout their lineup. So, hence this fast roof X2.
For its second generation, the X2 has gotten a lot bigger, a full 7.6-inches longer, which means it can now call the X1 its little brother. The roof slopes more drastically than before too, with even bigger changes in back, with the SUV-like liftgate and minimal back glass replaced with more glass set in a hatchback-style lid. Some might say the exaggerated fenders and sharp creases are a bit much, but we’re not among them. It looks great, especially with the optional M Sport Package’s 19-inch wheels, unique bumpers, and black trim.
Still, like many stylish small utilities, it is still a little hard to see out of. But that’s what cameras and a myriad of sensors are for. The X2 is clearly more upscale than before with xDrive all-wheel-drive now standard. So, no more front-wheel-drive X2s for now, though that never was a big deal to us, or to the owners of the new MINI Countryman who share this chassis.
BMW’s curved display is easily the highlight of the interior; operating with the ninth generation of iDrive technology, it blends the LED driver display into the central touchscreen. Front seats are both sporty and comfortable, and while many stylish sloped roof SUVs often sacrifice the utility part, rear seat space in the X2 is plentiful. With 25.3 cubic-feet of space, rear cargo capacity is barely less than the X1, and max capacity, at 51.7 cubic-feet, is actually more than the X1 due to the longer body.
This xDrive28i is the base offering, powered by a 241-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-4 with 295 lb-ft of torque. For an upgrade, that same engine gets cranked up to deliver 312 horsepower in the M35i; both get a seven-speed DCT. We stuck with the standard 2.0-liter for testing, dialed in Sport mode, and hit the track. And while it does feel very quick on the street, whether it was turbo lag or engine tuning, there just wasn’t a real sense of urgency off the line.
Once it got rolling though, power did pour on pretty effectively, getting us to 60 in 6.2 seconds, and then stayed very consistent down the track. There was even a nice little kick of additional oomph with every gear change. So clearly not the most invigorating BMW experience we’ve had recently, but the 14.9-second quarter-mile, finished at 96 mph, is plenty quick for an entry-level ute, and there’s always the M35i.
We’d also put handling in the “upscale” category. Even with the M Sport Adaptive suspension, softer tuning produced more body roll than expected. Steering was a bit too vague and light for our taste; without the tenacious grip we expected through our handling course. On the other hand, this X2 was very stable and safe, with a more substantial feel than before. In our panic braking test, the X2’s pedal was soft until the very end of travel when it firmed up quickly. But with an average stopping distance of a scant 96 feet, they clearly did their job.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the xDrive28i are 24 City, 33 Highway, and 28 Combined. We averaged a quite good 31.1 mpg of Premium. That rates slightly better than average for the Energy Impact Score, 10.6 barrels of annual oil use with 5.3 tons of CO2 emissions.
Pricing starts at $42,995, which is $1,500 more than a base X1. Then a healthy step up to the M35i which starts at $52,395.
While we did appreciate the original X2 for its more stylish take on the X1, there’s a lot more to love this time. The 2024 edition of the BMW X2 is more than just a better looking X1, it’s bigger and better all around. Now, one could argue if any brand really needs three coupe-like SUVs in their portfolio. But when you’ve got the formula for success like no one else, you might as well deploy it in as many ways as you can.