Considering how adventurous Honda got with the design of the latest Civic, you’d think the Legend came from a different manufacturer altogether. In a market where even established sellers like the 5-series and A6 are having to sport aggressive and slightly risqué styling just to maintain sales parity, a relative unknown like Honda surely needs aesthetics that scream for your attention.
The Legend's looks are inoffensive, sure, but also all but invisible. The Honda is powered by a 3471cc, 24-valve V6 with single overhead cams.
Power is fed to all four wheels via a paddle-shifting automatic five-speed gearbox. It serves up a promising 291bhp at 6200rpm, but also a
comparatively modest 259lb ft of torque way up at 5000rpm. A complex system of computer-controlled clutches juggles up to 70 per cent of that power not only between the front and rear axles, but also between the inside and outside rear wheels.
Fitted to a bespoke chassis featuring double wishbone suspension up front and a multi-link rear end, the system is called Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, and it has a defining effect on the Legend's dynamic character.
That advanced four-wheel-drive system comes at a predictable cost, though, and that's weight. The Legend tipped our scales at a
hefty 1870kg; the Audi A6 3.2 quattro weighs nearly 200kg less.
