AFTER going into deep hibernation for a year or so, Honda’s Legend is back. The wait, it seems, was worth it, even if Honda fans were frustrated by the appearance of the concept model at the New York motor show two years ago. With an entirely contemporary look vastly different to the staid Legend that disappeared in 2005, and a very promising all-wheel drive system, the fourth generation of Japan’s first luxury car could really set a challenge for Lexus as the class trendsetter. The new Legend is shorter but bigger inside, cram-packed with technology and equipment, and priced to scare the wits out of much of its competition. Not exactly an appropriate reference in the genteel luxury/prestige market, but this is a Honda that should kick serious butt.
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Honda MkIII Legend
Released: May 1996
Ended: January 2005
Family Tree: LegendReally just an admittedly thorough facelift of the bland 1996 MkIII, the 1999 Legend brought with it a less innocuous nose, revamped interior, a series of mechanical upgrades and an ever-decreasing number of buyers. Driving the front wheels was a 3.5-litre SOHC V6 delivering 147kW of power and 284Nm of torque, via a four-speed automatic gearbox. A far cry from the bold MkII Legend of 1991, this Honda hung on to dear life for far too long, mercifully vanishing into that great Japanese carpark in the sky – you know, the one with the Datsun Cedric and 240-300C, the Toyota Crown and Mitsubishi's Debonair! Gallingly, for Honda, the original ’86 Legend provided the template for Lexus’ eventual domination of the American luxury car market.
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