The HR-V selfie camera works only when the Honda is in park. Now, we should do the same for cell phones and web connectivity.
The Honda HR-V SLF model, due to go on sale in the U.S. this summer, comes with 10 selfie cameras to capture every self-absorbed trivial moment, in addition to the multi-angle rearview camera that comes standard on all Honda vehicles.
Honda claims this is an important segment to address because one-third of all photos taken by people aged 18–24 are selfies, with more than one million selfies taken each day. This apparently is not an April Fools marketing joke, and if it is then it touches on the growing challenge facing automakers – why doesn’t my car act like an iPhone? Welcome to the connected generation.
The Honda CR-V is the best selling compact crossover in the U.S., which is now the largest segment having passed mi-size cars during the last year. It is also the fastest growing segment in the world. In the U.S. CR-V has been selling at more than 20,00 units a month. (Read AutoInformed.com on: February US Sales Gains mostly from Trucks)
“Honda is embracing the selfie phenomenon and the creative, artistic sensibilities of millennials with this versatile, youthful trim model,” said Gazō Enjinia, HR-V brand manager at Honda.
“Cameras were already part of the all-new HR-V, used for lane departure warnings and the rear-view camera, so we found a way to incorporate more of them, based on the role of selfies in culture today. The selfie-camera option operates only when the vehicle is in park; when the vehicle is in drive, the cameras go back to their intended use.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
