Any rumors about 2020 Clarity? Chance of a refresh?

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The Gadgeteer said:
Sunroof... that is something you either use almost all the time or barely ever. I fall into the almost all the time camp. If the Honda added a longer range battery and/or a sunroof option in an upcoming PHEV, Clarity or not, I would seriously consider it especially if it had a hatchback and had a little more ground clearance.
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Same here, I came from the Kia Optima EX tech pkg and loved the full glass roof and was spoiled with all the nice features Optima had. With the sunroof I just like the light it provides inside the car and the vent came in handy. It also makes the car look really nicer. The hydrogen Clarity has a nice roof top and looks awesome. Also i wish it had the heated steering option for us cold weather folks. A 70 mile battery would be great.
 
Monir said:
Same here, I came from the Kia Optima EX tech pkg and loved the full glass roof and was spoiled with all the nice features Optima had. With the sunroof I just like the light it provides inside the car and the vent came in handy. It also makes the car look really nicer. The hydrogen Clarity has a nice roof top and looks awesome. Also i wish it had the heated steering option for us cold weather folks. A 70 mile battery would be great.
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You could throw a black wrap on the top part of your Clarity to make it look like a Clarity Fuel Cell (not counting the difference in grilles). Would you be willing to trade part of your trunk for more EV miles? I consider the 47-mile+ mile EV range/294-mile+ HV range/15.5 cu-ft. trunk size to be a pretty good compromise.
 
insightman said:
You could throw a black wrap on the top part of your Clarity to make it look like a Clarity Fuel Cell (not counting the difference in grilles). Would you be willing to trade part of your trunk for more EV miles? I consider the 47-mile+ mile EV range/294-mile+ HV range/15.5 cu-ft. trunk size to be a pretty good compromise.
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Its not just about the looks, but more functionality of the sunroof. It would nice to have that option for people who prefer something a little different.
 
Monir said:
Its not just about the looks, but more functionality of the sunroof. It would nice to have that option for people who prefer something a little different.
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The Clarity Fuel Cell does not have a sunroof, the cabin is painted black.
 
I find with sunroof and front windows open there is such great airflow in all the cars I have had that I generally do not need A/C. Plus I just like the extra light and feeling of openness. If the Clarity gets more popular perhaps we will see more options.

I do not see these cars having too much wear and tear in 3 years so if Honda wants to get us in a newer Clarity or other PHEV a couple of years from now they will need to offer something more than what our Clarities are giving us now at a fair price point.
 
BeMurda said:
Still no news about any refresh eh?
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You can be certain that the fanatics on this forum (eg. me) would all vie to be first with any news published about the hoped-for 2020 Clarity PHEV. AFAIK, Honda never makes significant changes to any of their vehicles after just 2 years.

What changes would make you want a new Clarity PHEV so much that you would happily pay the MSRP?
 
Interesting question. I like the blue in the Clarity EV so that as an optional color would be nice. I would like the wheel splats taken off, but I wouldn't pay a lot extra for that. I'd love to have an EV only option so I can completely shut down the ICE. More kWh without increasing weight, but not a big deal as the battery capacity is normally enough for me. Such a small list for me that I probably still wouldn't jump immediately, maybe in 2023 or so... I'd be more excited over getting to see the Pilot PHEV.
 
There's a $79K Range Rover PHEV with 31 miles of EV range and an upcoming $70K Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring with about the same range (generating 450 hp and an amazing 650 lb-ft of torque!). BMW's upcoming X5 xDrive45e iPerformance may go a whopping 40 miles under EV power, but it won't be cheap, either.

Would you pay $50K for a Pilot PHEV that gets 40 miles of EV range? (I purposely made the price high and the range low just to be mean.) I wonder what effect Honda's difficult experience with trying to sell the Clarity PHEV has had on their decisions regarding the Pilot PHEV?
 
insightman said:
There's a $79K Range Rover PHEV with 31 miles of EV range and an upcoming $70K Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring with about the same range (generating 450 hp and an amazing 650 lb-ft of torque!). BMW's upcoming X5 xDrive45e iPerformance may go a whopping 40 miles under EV power, but it won't be cheap, either.

Would you pay $50K for a Pilot PHEV that gets 40 miles of EV range? (I purposely made the price high and the range low just to be mean.) I wonder what effect Honda's difficult experience with trying to sell the Clarity PHEV has had on their decisions regarding the Pilot PHEV?
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You know, I kind of expect to pay an arm and a leg for the next SUV I buy. I have waited so long for a good PHEV SUV that once I find it, I probably won't get too excited over the cost. But north of $70k, I don't know. I'd have to like it a LOT. I generally just don't want a Range Rover, just due to the fact that they have such a stigma of being high cost/high maintenance. The Lincoln seems ok from what I've read, but like you say it is pricey and in that price range, I'd probably give the BMW a hard look over it. If the Pilot can beat everything on price and checks all the other boxes, it might be the winner for me.
 
BeMurda said:
I'm just coming into this looking to displace the majority of my gasoline usage and get a vehicle that is going to make me happy. I actually wasn't sure when the 2019's came out, good to know. Also good to know about automatic compensation - a feature my father's 2001 Tahoe has as well!



I suppose you and others could be right and it may be wishful thinking. Certainly it mostly seems like a fresh vehicle to me.



I'm not too concerned about the volume knob, nor about the apparently sluggish infotainment. It's just a 'nice to have'. What I have become very reliant on in my horrifically cold climate is having a heated steering wheel. I have very bad circulation in my hands. I can wear gloves in some contexts but when showing several homes in a row I constantly need to take them off. Ways around this perhaps, but I love the feeling. It seems pretty unlikely the Clarity will get one though...
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My biggest concern for an electric car in the cold Canadian winter would be, um, the COLD. You can preheat while still attached to the charger, but the conditions are going to do a number on your battery range. All those other considerations would pale by comparison.
 
Sloanhoo said:
My biggest concern for an electric car in the cold Canadian winter would be, um, the COLD. You can preheat while still attached to the charger, but the conditions are going to do a number on your battery range. All those other considerations would pale by comparison.
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I'd plan to get a 240 outlet for preheating and the car would be garaged whenever not in use. I wouldn't expect much more than 40km in the winter on snow tires. Actually, the bad winters, along with lack of charging infrastructure, are among of the main reasons I am looking at the Clarity over full EVs. It's hybrid functionality is great and even at 40mpg that's a lot better than the 22 combined I get right now with my 2010 Nissan Maxima. Of course, the price is about $10k cheaper than many as well, potentially.

I could go conservative and get the new RAV4 Hybrid for $10k more but it just doesn't seem anywhere near as fun.
 
Sloanhoo said:
My biggest concern for an electric car in the cold Canadian winter would be, um, the COLD. You can preheat while still attached to the charger, but the conditions are going to do a number on your battery range. All those other considerations would pale by comparison.
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Point taken. PHEV preferred to EV in cold areas.

For what it’s worth, I have put 2k miles on my Clarity since mid-March, and I absolutely love it. I tested a RAV4 H but it was just boring while my Moonlit Forest Pearl/beige interior Touring model seems luxurious by comparison. We drove 350 each way miles to Canada and back, and it was so comfortable. We put 4.5 gals in tank once on the way and 4 on the way back. Would have been less if the Clarity allowed the battery to be 100% charged in Hybrid Charge mode instead of stopping at 60%. Still, BC government paid for the Lvl 2 charge when we were there. Did I mention that I am so happy I didn’t buy the RAV4 Hybrid?
 
Robert_Alabama said:
You know, I kind of expect to pay an arm and a leg for the next SUV I buy. I have waited so long for a good PHEV SUV that once I find it, I probably won't get too excited over the cost. But north of $70k, I don't know. I'd have to like it a LOT. I generally just don't want a Range Rover, just due to the fact that they have such a stigma of being high cost/high maintenance. The Lincoln seems ok from what I've read, but like you say it is pricey and in that price range, I'd probably give the BMW a hard look over it. If the Pilot can beat everything on price and checks all the other boxes, it might be the winner for me.
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DO NOT GET a Range Rover unless you want to ride in a washing machine!

I just sold mine and have to say that not only is maintenance expensive even using an independent mechanic, but the quality build (fit, finish, and noise) is just AWFUL !

The only redeeming feature of the Range Rover is their 4WD traction system - it will traverse terrain that only billy goats can - amazing off road performance.

Don't miss the Land Rover's awful mileage (18 MPG max) on highways, 3 months in service for parts that had to be shipped from the UK, noisy cabin, squeaking panels, rattling doors/rear hatch, ticking noises in the A/B pillar, squeaky 2nd and 3rd row seats, clacking seat belts, and groaning sun roof.
 
petteyg359 said:
Volume knobs are overrated.
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I was a bit leery about the lack of a volume knob, but I actually prefer the steering wheel thingy. With the knob, I would tend to look at it even though I didn't need to. There is less temptation to take my eyes off the road.
 
MPower said:
I was a bit leery about the lack of a volume knob, but I actually prefer the steering wheel thingy. With the knob, I would tend to look at it even though I didn't need to. There is less temptation to take my eyes off the road.
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Yeah, when I was shopping these it wasn't an issue for me either, despite the amount of reviewer 'noise' about it. I have a volume knob in my Forester that gets used, basically, never. Steering wheel volume is just way easier, and also using the knob I would inevitably smudge my screen in the process.
 
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