REPRINT FROM ISSUE #26 1990
REVIEW OF HINODE LUCENT
GOOD, BUT GOOD ENOUGH?
The Hinode Lucent may not be allowed to enter this street, but is it good enough to enter the luxury car market?
The japanese seems to be at an offensive in the luxury car market now. For example, we tested Kaizen’s new S-series some months ago, and Hinode is not resting on its laurels either. Pitted against the Kaizen, as well as the more traditional luxury brands from Europe and USA, their all new Lucent arrives as one of the interesting automobile newcomers for 1991. As well as the Kaizen, it is a luxury sedan with a styling that by no means could be called bold, but still oozes elegance and refinement. Also, despite looking a bit similar to the Kaizen (we can’t help that we want to compare the cars), we think that there is a bit more “upper class” look to the Hinode, without going over the top.
But in this segment, looking classy is not enough. The whole car needs to have class. And how the Hinode stands against the tough competition is what we are going to find out now.
DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The Hinode is a car that feels very “soft”, is is less of a drivers car than some vehicles in its class. A car meant to carry the occupants from point A to point B in maximum comfort. But we feel that we aren’t just insulated from noise, vibrations and bumps. There is a bit of an “insulated” feeling from the road too. Some of that is cured by its variable ratio steering, though, making the steering less “dead” at high speeds without sacrificing comfort when parking or city driving.
The cornering abilities feel a bit bland. It is absolutely not a bad handler, but its front end starts plowing much earlier than in some of its competitors. Handling is safe and predictable though, but don’t expect a go-kart through the slalom course.
Braking capacity is adequate. Some competitors have set new standards here, and the Hinode does not reach them. But there was absolutely no fade, and vented discs with ABS all around is standard.
Also standard is a limited slip differential, and if that is not enough, a traction control system. That might come in handy in slippery conditions with a powerful RWD car like this.
The problem is maybe that new standards is being set all the time in this class. Five years ago we could have praised a car like this, but now it is just “good enough”.
VERDICT: ***
PERFORMANCE
A 250 hp, 4 litre V8 means that this car has frisky performance even though the automatic transmission is chewing up some horsepowers. 7.1 seconds to 100 and a top speed of 265 km/h should be enough for everyone, except if your goal is to be the fastest on the autobahn. Safe passing of other cars is not a problem either, 80-120 takes 4.68 seconds.
VERDICT: ****
COMFORT
To sum it up, like sitting in your favourite couch, that is flying on a cloud. The soft suspension maybe handicapped the car when it came to its handling characteristics, but it soaks up bumps like nothing, without ever bottoming out or feeling wallowy. The seats are among the better on the market, at least as long as we are talking about mass produced cars, and the sound insulation combined with the smooth V8 means that there is just a muffled little burble inside the car, that you hardly could call engine noise. On a long trip, we hardly can think of a better suited car than this one.
VERDICT: *****
ROOMINESS
We were not impressed with the space the Kaizen had to offer and we are not impressed with the slightly more cramped Hinode either. Sure, a car this big rarely has any problems with interior space, but maybe more still could be expected. 568 litres of trunk space compared to 595 in the Kaizen is not really impressive either, some compacts does pack more.
VERDICT: ***
EQUIPMENT:
We can’t think of a single thing that is missing in the Lucent. Leather interior, electrical controls for everything, wood paneling inside, electronic climate control, sunroof, alloy wheels, adaptive dampening and a stereo system that probably can make Tutankhamen wake up again. The Lucent could more or less be a benchmark for how a luxury car should be equipped.
VERDICT: *****
ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The V8 is by no means a fire breathing beast, but it is smooth, strong and features the latest in technology. It feels well suited to the car overall, perhaps more suited than the 318 hp hot rod mill felt in the Kaizen most of the time. It is also sparse on gas for what it is and Hinode says that the emissions are so low that it will pass all upcoming stricter laws with flying colours.
The 4 speed automatic transmission has very wide spacing, but in a car that is by no means sporty and probably will run in the highest gear at highway speeds most of the time, that’s no big deal. And speaking about highest gear, it is of course equipped with lock up, and the gearbox is computer controlled. We’re thankful for the winter mode where it starts in second gear though, and had the transmission set on that most of the time. In first gear, with the traction control turned off, it is hard to take off without leaving in a smokey burnout.
VERDICT: ****
QUALITY
Japanese means quality nowadays, right? Unfortunately, we are not always sure that this is the case, but more on that later, and let’s start with the positive stuff. The fit and finish of the interior is superb and could learn some other manufacturers a lesson. High quality leather and wood, absolutely no squeaks and rattles and a carpeting that we don’t think that you can wear out during your lifetime. With that in mind, the exterior was bit of a disappointment. We can’t say that it looks slopped together, but the pearl white paint had some orange peel that reminded us that this IS a mass produced car after all, not something that has multiple coats of hand rubbed clear, and the panel gaps were not perfect. The Kaizen has an edge here.
What’s more worrying is that the predicted reliability is at the lower end of the scale. Advanced technology takes its toll, you can’t break something that isn’t there, and the Hinode is no exception here. Nothing seems to be over-engineered and this car might as well turn out as a nightmare to own when the warranty have ended.
Hinode has galvanized the structure and some of the outer panels are made of aluminium. It should take a while before rust becomes a problem.
VERDICT: ***
ECONOMY
Let’s start with the good news - the fuel consumption (10.7 litres per 100 km) is not bad for a big V8 car. But luxury cars are seldom a good investment. The purchase price is high ($42500 AMU), as well as the service costs, there is a risk for costly repairs in the future which means that an already low second hand value becomes even more unstable. Also, we could not help to notice the large amounts of negative camber in the rear. Don’t expect your rear tyres to last long.
VERDICT: *
SAFETY
The lack of a real B-pillar (yes, the Hinode is actually a 4 door hardtop, something you don’t see very often anymore) may feel worrying when it comes to roll over and side impact performance. But Hinode tells you not to worry, the roof and the half B-pillar is reinforced and should more than well compensate for that. Other than that, it is a large car, which means large crumple zones, and we could not find anything that was lacking in the safety department. Active safety like traction control and ABS, as well as passive safety like dual airbags, pretensioning seatbelts, side impact beams in the doors, head rests even in the rear seat etc. means that it probably will take at least front and rear impacts better than most other cars on the road. But one thing to keep in mind - children should never be put in the front seat, especially not rear facing, in a car with a passenger side airbag.
As long as you are confident in what Hinode says, and as long as no independent crash testing proves otherwise, we think that this car deserves the best rating possible.
VERDICT: *****
The 4 door hardtop body is a rare sight nowadays, but it gives a great unobstructed view and airy feeling to the cabin. Torsional rigidity and impact protection suffers though.
FINAL VERDICT: 33/45
We don’t think that Hinode has done a bad job with this car overall. But for the amount of money it costs, it should also be a good car. And the Hinode shines when it comes to equipment and comfort, no question about it. But in some areas it is still a bit mediocre. In some ways it feels a bit outdated for being an all new model for 1991. Most luxury car buyers today want a car that is as brilliant to drive as it is to ride in, chaffeured rides are a thing of the past.
Also, the risk is that it becomes a money pit in some years. But if you can afford to pay for this one, you probably can afford the repairs too. Or maybe to trade up for a new model when warranty ends, making eventual repairs the headache of the next owner.
That said, the Hinode is a nice car if you can afford the ownership. Unfortunately, the competition is tough nowadays, and the question we ask ourselves (and that Hinode should ask themselves too), is there enough buyers out there that thinks that being nice is enough for them to choose a Lucent instead of any other of the interesting competitors in this class? Only the future will tell.
(Thanks to @S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T for the car!)