New Car: 2009 Honda Legend facelift (EU)

Debuting at the Moscow motorshow is the European 2009 Honda Legend facelift. Previewed earlier this year as the 2009 Acura RL in Chicago, the Legend receives revised lights, bonnet, front fenders, boot lid, bumpers and the adoption of standard 18" wheels. Same as the Acura, the previous 3.5 litre V6 gets replaced by a 3.7 litre V6 plus new exhaust side VTEC producing 300bhp (220 kW). The result is a 20% increase in mid-range torque shaving 0.2 seconds off the 0 - 100 km/h time of 7.1 seconds. Carbon emissions should drop from 295g/km down to 260g/km.

Press Release:

Extensive Updates for the Honda Legend

New 3.7 litre V6-engine with more torque, lower CO2 emissions and improved fuel efficiency
Faster acceleration
Extensive styling updates

Revised automatic gearbox with faster shift times and more responsive paddle-shift
Even greater refinement for noise absorption to enhance Active Noise Cancellation system

At the Moscow motor show, Honda has revealed the look of the re-styled Honda Legend to Europe.

This revised model gives a new edge to the top of the range Honda and responds to customer feedback on the current model. The most noticeable change is to the exterior style of the Legend, with new lights, bonnet, front wings, boot lid, bumpers and the adoption of standard 18" wheels.

Under the restyled bonnet is one of the most powerful V6 engines in this sector, giving the power of a V8 engine, while retaining the smoothness and fuel economy inherent to this layout.

The new engine has an additional 200cc that helps to give the new Legend greater torque across the whole rev range. Complementing this increase in capacity the 3.7 litre V6 has VTEC added to the exhaust valves, joining the system already fitted on the inlet side. These realised a 20% increase in torque in the mid-range. The result is an enhancement to the feeling of power, as well as the improved acceleration.

Coupled to this revised engine, is an all-new 5-speed gearbox that helps the driver exploit and enjoy the revised power unit. The new box has switched to a straight gate and empowers the driver with additional control over gear selection with revised steering wheel mounted paddle-shifters and new gearbox software. The new transmission reacts faster to changes in driver input even in the normal automatic mode and so gives the driver access to power when it's most needed.

The combined effects of the improved transmission and increase in torque mean that the new Legend can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than before. Fuel economy and CO2 have also improved over the previous model, despite the improved acceleration performance.

Central to the concept of the current Legend is the cabin refinement which reduces the stress of modern motoring. This theme has been taken a stage further with the new car by equipping it with a suite of NVH reducing technologies. The most advanced of these is the Active Noise Cancellation system (ANC), which cancels out low frequency noise by playing the opposite wave form through the Bose sound system. New to the flagship is a new form of sound deadening mat that has improved noise reducing properties and is lighter than conventional materials. An acoustic windscreen and improved bushing complete these improvements to the already very refined Honda flagship.

Safety is a cornerstone of the Legend, and adds Active Head Restraints to its already impressive safety equipment. The new head restraints are similar in principle to the items found in the Civic and Accord models and compliment the reassuring ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure. Optional in some markets are the Adaptive Cruise Control and CMBS systems, which use millimetre wave radar to detect and help reduce the risk of collisions.

The chassis of the Legend has also received some attention to further enhance the Legend's rock solid, yet entertaining handling. Although the very advanced SH-AWD system remains unchanged the settings for the suspension have been altered to improve the ride and handling.

The already well equipped Legend gets some more revisions to compliment the new model. Rear seat passengers can now enjoy the benefits of heated seats, while the Bose Audio system now has a USB socket, to enable the easy connection of an iPod.