Your Questions Answered: Will the new Paj have enough power?

I visited my local Honda agent (they are no longer a dealership) to buy a Prelude. I own two late model Hondas,?so no issue with the brand, but for $65K there are no powered seats, not even for the driver. Us old blokes want them and we can afford them! No sunroof. Maybe not an issue for some, but if you won’t/can’t deliver a convertible, a hole in the top is a realistic compromise. And the Chinese have all but made them standard. And which accountant?covered the rear seats in cheap and very unattractive material? It’s crap! My salesman, otherwise,?a top bloke, said Honda had told him that powered seats and a roof would put the Prelude in the $80K bracket. He’s likely repeating the company line, the rest of us know that’s dollars rubbish. The Prelude isn’t powerful, but more than enough for most. Wake up Honda, add?the luxe items, and price the package appropriately. $65K is too much for the current package, up-spec the seats, roof?and that awful rear finish and the queue will be all the way to the bank - Mike

Answer: Hi Mike, yes you’re right Honda uses the agency model to sell cars. For those who’ve not come across this, it means an agent represents the manufacturer directly, with the manufacturer owning the stock and any outlet rather than a dealer franchisee.

Brands other than Honda who sell cars this way in Australia include Genesis, Mercedes-Benz and Polestar. In effect, you’re buying from the brand directly.

As for the $65K ask, the agency model employed by Honda includes fixed pricing — so no haggling. The market for two-door coupes such as the Prelude is not getting bigger or more profitable.

While we agree the Prelude is a bit pricey for what it is, it is unique (a hybrid sports coupe) and one of the few in its segment that would serve as a comfortable grand tourer or daily driver.

As for Prelude features, we’d agree that power front seats would allow better seat adjustment/comfort, but if you want more of a sense of open-air motoring, what about the much cheaper Mazda MX-5 (from $42,640 plus on-roads)?

The Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 are hugely fun and, like the MX-5, much cheaper too, but are more focused, more cramped inside and less inviting as quiet, smooth daily drivers compared with the Prelude.

I am in the market for a new 4x4 and like the new Pajero. I will buy one if it’s not gutless as I suspect it will be. Someone who can access Mitsubishi should tell them now before it’s too late to increase the power and torque before it’s too late – and if they do, they will have a best seller - Mark

Answer: Hey Mark, we’re all keenly awaiting more details on the new Pajero, with a global reveal imminent (August/September) and expected in local showrooms around December.

While Mitsubishi continues to build awareness with a drip-feed of information on its important new Toyota Prado and Ford Everest competitor, we don’t have confirmed engine spec details. It’s likely to have the 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel Triton engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission in place of the six-speed in the ute.

The Triton’s ladder-frame chassis and front suspension will likely be paired with a bespoke Pajero multi-link rear suspension setup, essentially providing a new-generation Pajero Sport.

While cynics might poo-poo this, we really need to see and drive the new Paj before selling it short. It’s clearly bigger than the superseded Pajero Sport, and presumably heavier.

All will be revealed in the next month or two, when Pajero gets its global unveiling. Stand by…

I’m in my 70s and have been following the quick progression of EVs into our lives. I have never driven one, so I’m fairly ignorant, as are many of my friends. From what I’ve read, there is a lot of talk about 'one-pedal driving’. This is confusing.?Is there only one pedal that replaces the accelerator and the brake? How difficult is it to condition oneself to this if you regularly also drive a normal petrol automatic without getting confused? - David

Answer: Hi David, this is a great question. If you’ve never driven an EV, the concept of ‘one-pedal’ driving is quite foreign. Firstly, it’s not just one pedal on the floor; there is also a brake pedal, that operates just like any vehicle you’re familiar with.

The thing is, you have already experienced the basics of what one-pedal driving mode does — particularly if you’ve driven a manual petrol or diesel vehicle — with engine braking and your foot brake.

One-pedal driving with an EV is simply when the electric motor(s) propelling the car become an electrical generator, recovering kinetic energy and feeding it back into the battery.

This is a feature of most EVs, often with selectable levels of resistance. One-pedal driving is when the physical/traditional brakes are applied electronically once the motor’s regenerative braking capabilities have been exceeded to stop the vehicle without manually engaging them via the brake pedal – like below 5km/h.

So the brakes take over from the motor and bring the car to a complete stop, and hold it there until the accelerator is pressed and then it automatically releases the brakes.

Various brands offer this feature and of course like to pedal (excuse the pun) their own names for essentially the same thing. BMW calls it ‘B-Mode’; Tesla ‘Hold Mode’; for Hyundai, i-Pedal, and Nissan e-Pedal.

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