Description

Element arrived as a compact sport-utility, though crossover seems more apropos for its SUV function in the look of a boxy wagon. It took a novel approach to design--look different than anything else on the road with front and rear bumpers, lower fenders and rocker panels consisting of gray plastic rather than body colored sheet-metal--to cater to youth. Other novelties included swing-back, or suicide, rear doors, and rear seats that folded along the walls rather than folding flat or flipping forward for more cargo room. Because youth tend to be more outdoorsy than the rest of the people on this planet, the interior was covered with washable rubber mats rather than carpeting. And you got the choice of front- or all-wheel-drive.