Hasta La Ideas

Honda bailed out of the dog-friendly vehicle market by discontinuing the Element. <——-PLEASE LINK TO PREVIOUS ENTRY AND REMOVE BOLDFACE———– This means there’s a gap in the market, which Nissan has picked up on: After sifting through a Kennel Club survey of dog-owning drivers in the UK, they learned that “Almost 90 percent would buy a car that boasts dog-friendly features.”

Nissan subsequently modified an X-Trail to gauge response. Here’s a look at their X-Trail 4Dogs concept, which they unveiled this week:

Wow! I’m not sure where the shower water is stored and how it’s pressurized, but between that and the pull-out dryer I’m impressed. If I were in the market for a car those things alone might have me sold.

I could do without the dog treat dispenser–once one of mine figured out how it worked, they’d empty it in no time–and I think quilted leather for the cargo bay lining is a poor materials choice; though Nissan claims it’s “wipe-clean leather,” whatever that means, I can tell you that all of those stitched surfaces will be a magnet for dirt, grit and mud.

But beyond those I think the ramp is a good idea, as it was in the dog-friendly Element.

I also like the ability to see your dog on-camera. On roadtrips I’ve taken, my white dog will occasionally get car-sick, and if I’m looking at him I can tell when he’s going to puke because he sits up and makes a weird face; if I spot it while driving it might be enough time to yell for whomever’s on barf patrol in the back seat to get a bucket back there in time.

As for the dogs being able to see me on the screen, I understand that that’s meant to calm down nervous dogs; but I’m never sure of whether dogs can perceive faces and fine detail on a screen or not. I do have a couple shots of my white dog watching the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam when it first came out, as that was the only way I could get him to sit still while I brushed him:

However, I suspect he was more preoccupied by the small moving shapes and mewling noises, as opposed to recognizing these as puppies of his own breed.

Anyways, fellow dog owners: What do you look for in a dog-friendly car, and/or what modifications and hacks have you integrated to make your own car more pooch-amenable?