Since the light

The European premiere of the machine in Karelia - this is not a story about New Vasyuki. Just a new, traditionally an American Pilot on our continent will be sold only in Ukraine and Russia. From an engineers from Alabama brought a lot of America and very little "Honda." Good or bad - "Autopilot" figured out the song of the mosquitoes in one of the most beautiful parts of Russia. In the base camp near Petrozavodsk Honda lined up in anticipation of "Pilots". For them it is completely unexplored territory, and the machine looks impressive, but foreign - American traditions of design with the inevitable epithet bold. Overall impression favorable to us and new, despite the fact that this second generation car. The first came through in Russia is very small batches and not through official channels. Under the hood, Pilot is a 3.5-liter engine, the main chip which is a system variable control cylinder. Three modes of operation. With an average cruising speed and low load disabled three of six cylinders. At low load and high speed (movement along a gently sloping hill) cost four-cylinder engine. During acceleration, when you want maximum power, includes all the "pots". In practice, this looks like an almost complete release the accelerator pedal indicator is the optimal fuel consumption ECO - a sure sign of disconnection of the cylinder. If you slam on the icon immediately goes to wake up (very slowly) all the cylinders and the car accelerates. To bring fuel to the ideal (11.8 liters per hundred in combined cycle) is difficult, especially in the Karelian roads - even on the official photo of the dashboard indicator somehow stood at 20 liters per hundred. On the way back, dropping the testimony, we were able to bring the rate up to 15 liters, which, in essence, is the minimum average cost achievable in the real world. After all, the length of the flat high-speed autobahns in Russia is quite small. But soft, swaying suspension leaves no doubt as to the origin of American cars. And at the same time makes Pilot infinitely distant from other models of Honda. Inside the car turned, perhaps, overly "cool". According to Kerry McClure is responsible for the comfort and interior design, as were the main reasons for such strict registration of gadgets, such as computer ToughBook from Panasonic. All this grandeur is made of hard plastic rustling, which is slightly disappointing. - We have come to expect from a big car with pretensions to luxury SUV a little more - we report to Mr. McClure. - First of all, - he replied cautiously - that our market is quite small and economical car. But take into account the wishes. Pilot in the U.S. market first and foremost a family car. In addition to compulsory third-row seating there is as many as four (!) Isofix anchorage for child seats. The central tunnel rid of the gearshift knob, and posted here is truly gigantic storage compartments - small and not very much. As usual, the navigation screen, installed in the American version, did not get to Russia, but this promise to consider in the future, because the certification of this equipment and purchase cards to Russia - as always a costly and lengthy process. While the need to limit multi-functional LED display in the traditional American green tones and tape recorder with MP3, which pumps the sound through the speaker 7 or 9. And the sound: with the noise in the top version of the active noise reduction system is struggling. Of the additional bells and whistles: camera display built right into the rearview mirror. Combine it with a mirror image of the first very strange. It's in the U.S. fuel crisis has reduced sales of new machines and reverse the dynamics of sales are traditionally a popular segment of the SUV. We have not planned anything similar, and quite a growing segment together with the whole market - now it is 21% of all sales, more than 400 000 units a year. A subsegments D-SUV, which includes Pilot, is growing even faster. In general, the export model in Russia similar to the successful and timely anti-crisis measure, which aims to preserve hondovskogo plant in Alabama. In fact, as the team admitted the decision was made two years ago, and all this time was conducted reconfiguration of production. A successful launch time coincided with the recession of the American avtoproizvodyaschey industry. The initiative was based on a rather well-known fact: The Russian market is still able to absorb all that it offers. Apparently, someone gets the prize for the gift of foresight, although this is yet to secure sales. Depending on the configuration Pilot will cost 1.4 million rubles (Elegance), and 1.5 million rubles (Executive), which is quite comfortable places it in a competitive niche. A competitor company presents itself as follows: hardwood Volvo XC90, Nissan Murano, Mazda CX-9, and off-road Land Rover, Toyota LC Prado, Nissan Pathfinder and Mitsubishi Pajero. The purpose of Pilot - combine it all into some kind of universal averaged vehicle. Ultimate victory over its competitors, according to the Americans, will provide two more trumps. First - Pilot ahead of the segment by the ratio of fuel efficiency and interior volume. The second - is "the safest SUV on the planet." The data were obtained from the American test, and slightly reminiscent of George Bush's phrase: "Our citizens - the most educated Americans in the world." As always, the point of the "i" will put the real sales figures. This year the company plans to sell 500 - 600 cars per month and promises to avoid the queues: While American plant capable of producing far more cars than necessary.