The Honda Legend is a series of executive cars/mid-size luxury sedans with V6 engines manufactured and marketed by Honda from 1985 to 2012 and from 2014 to the present time. The Honda Legend is a more spacious vehicle than the Honda Accord. It also served as the base for the Acura Legend, RL, and RLX, Honda's premium Acura division's flagship automobiles in North America, from 1986 to 2020.
History of the Honda Legend
Honda Legend First Generation (KA1-6; 1985–1990)
Since its launch in Japan on October 22, 1985, Honda's first production vehicle with a SOHC V6 engine globally has been the Legend. In Japan, the debut of Honda Clio, a new dealer sales network, happened simultaneously with the Legend's debut. In 1985, Honda released the Legend in Japan and put it through its paces in the real world before bringing it to the United States. If you want a premium automobile with tremendous value, this is for you. It's available in both sedan and coupe configurations. The Japanese automaker surprised its rivals by selling more than 55,000 vehicles in the United States just one year after being sold here. Furthermore, Honda offered a more powerful engine for the coupe than the sedan. Powered by a variable turbocharger unit (VTG), the Japanese Legend had a 2.0L V-6 engine that was revolutionary at the time. V-6 engines were available for the sedan and the coupe in the U.S. market.
Honda Legend Second Generation (KA7/8; 1990–1995)
A sedan and a coupe were still available in the second generation, which debuted on October 24, 1990. The Rover 800 was not upgraded to the new platform but used the previous XX platform. Compared to the previous model, it constantly improved both quality and durability. Honda designed the Legend with German luxury automakers in mind. Honda crammed as much technology as possible into its vehicles. Sales became slow because there was only one engine option, and there was a brief economic crisis at the start of the 1990s. On the other hand, it was a highly sought-after vehicle in its price range. To distinguish it from its predecessor, Honda referred to it as the "Super Legend" in Japan because of its bigger 3.2L C32A engine.
Honda Legend Third Generation (KA9; 1995–2004)
The Honda Legend's third-generation debuted on February 14, 1996, with a 3.5L engine producing 215 horsepower while maintaining Honda's history of front-wheel drive. Its internal Honda platform code is E-KA9, and they used it to identify the car. For the third generation of its flagship vehicle, the Legend, Honda aimed squarely at the Mercedes-Benz E-Class by making the sedan-only variant available in 1996. It was a challenge for the Japanese company to create an executive vehicle that was comfortable and efficient. However, it was its most important vehicle in the premium market, but it couldn't compete with European carmakers' engine options. In 1996, only one model was available: a sedan-only third version of the Legend, made by Honda. In 1999, Honda gave the facelift a mid-term update. From 2007 onwards, the third-generation RL served as the basis for the Legend, which was sold in Australia as of the model year 2007. As a replacement for the Legend coupe, Acura introduced a 2-door coupe built on the Honda Accord for the US market. This allowed Acura to keep selling a high-end 2-door model in the US market.
Honda Legend Fourth Generation (KB1/2; 2004–2012)
As Japan's Car of the Year for 2004–2005, Honda's fourth generation of the swooper, the more compact fourth-generation Legend, went on sale on October 7, 2004. Restoration to the Legend's roots as a high-end sedan with a unique selling proposition, as seen by the third-generation model's smaller overall proportions, would be a foregone conclusion. With the addition of all-wheel drive and its innovative features, the Legend underwent its most significant facelift. Honda invested a lot of time and money in creating the vehicle, even though the outcomes were well below what they expected. Honda Legend production celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011. There was just one engine-transmission combination available for the Legend, which set it apart from the competition. The sole engine was a 3.5L V6 mated to a 5-speed automated gearbox with an innovative SH-AWD (Super Handling all-wheel-drive), which transferred power to all four wheels.
Honda Legend Fifth Generation (KB1/2; 2004–2012)
As of February 20, 2015, the fifth-generation Legend was on sale in Japan, and it's remarkably similar to the Acura RLX in terms of design. It was introduced on October 2 in Japan and made its debut at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show on October 27th. Because of low sales, Honda discontinued the RLX model in North America, and there will be no direct replacement for the Acura RLX in 2020. By March 2021, the Legend will have an updated version in Japan. The all-new Honda SENSING Elite-equipped Legend Hybrid EX will be available for lease in Japan on March 5, 2021. As part of Honda SENSING, sophisticated safety and driver-assistive features are already available in Honda cars worldwide. In addition to the "Traffic Jam Pilot" function, one of the "elite" technologies is the "Level 3 Automated Driving" capability. Sadly, in June 2021, the Sayama facility that manufactured the Legend was shut down, and the Legend would not have a successor.
Price
Honda retailed the Honda Legend from $23,300 to $31,680 for the latest year the model was manufactured.
Features
Interior Features of the Honda Legend
Even though the Legend is a full-size flagship sedan, its interior design doesn't stand out. This is anticipated for a vehicle in this price range, yet, the general interior design may better be summarized as conservative. A twin-screen infotainment system, which functions confusingly, was installed by Honda because they felt it would be a good idea. With the rotational knob controller, the upper screen may be controlled primarily, while you can use the touch screen to operate the lower screens. Because of Krell's 14 Hi-Fi speakers, the music files played back sound crystal clear. Compressed MP3 music sounds like high-quality FLAC when it's played with this utility. Electrically adjustable front seats with heating and cooling, on the other hand, are something customers would enjoy in a hot environment, especially in the United States. More interior features of the Honda Legend are a colored head-up display (HUD), dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, an 8" intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) with navigation, leather dash trim, map light, food light, illuminated glove box and center, and two 12-volt accessory sockets.
Exterior Features of the Honda Legend
Except for minor hybrid marks on the fenders, there are virtually no visible clues that you are driving a hybrid vehicle. The dazzling black paint significantly aids its sleek and refined appearance. Due to the small wheel spacing, its 19-inch alloy wheels look well with the rest of the car. The stylish LED headlamps from Honda (or Acura) are on the front of the car, and the grille works well with the headlights. However, the Legend's appearance does not stand out when viewed as a whole. Despite its lack of distinguishing features, it might easily be mistaken for a typical Japanese sedan. It's easy to mistake this automobile for a Honda Accord if you don't look closely enough.
Standard Features of the Honda Legend
- Jewel Eye LED headlights
- A rear multi-view parking camera
- Power Sunroof
- LED Fog Lights
- LED Rear Fog Lamps
- Power Side mirrors
- Auto-Dimming Side Mirrors
- Chrome Grille
- Chrome Door Handles
- Lower Double-Joint Front Double Wishbone
- Rear Multi-Link Suspension
- Jewel Eye LED headlights
- Krell Industries Sound System
- Blind Spot Information
- Cross Traffic Monitor
- Vehicle Stability Assist
- Hill Start Assist
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Low-Speed Follow
- Lane Keeping Assist System
- Forward Collision Warning
- Collision Mitigation Braking System
Specs and Performance of the Honda Legend
The Honda Legend engine delivers 310 hp at 6,500 rpm, 47 hp at 3,000 rpm from the front electric, and 36+36 hp at 4,000 rpm from dual rear eclectic motors. It has a total output of 377 hp at 6,500 rpm. The model has a total torque of 341 lb-ft at 4,700 rpm: 273 lb-ft at 4,700 from the gasoline engine, 109 lb-ft between 500-2,000 rpm from the front electric motor, and 54+54 lb-ft at 0-2,000 rpm from the dual rear electric motors. This Honda Legend executive car accelerates from 0-60 mph (97 kph) in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 130 mph (210 kph). It has a recorded fuel mileage of 29 mpg in the city and 32 on the freeway. Honda manufactured the Legend model with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel-drive (AWD) drivetrain powered by a 3.5L SOHC 24V i-VTEC V6 engine.
Release Date
On October 22, 1998, Honda released the first Honda Legend, and it made an impact throughout its production period. The last generation of the Honda Legend has been in production since February 2015.