HondaJet Elite II Lands with Classier Cabin and Emergency Autoland System

Honda has launched a brand-new model that can go up to 782 KM/H, while featuring a luxury cabin that can seat up to seven people and a slew of autonomous ‘driving’ assistance features. 

2023 HondaJet Elite II private aircraft

No, we’re not talking about some new ‘hyper-minivan’ from Honda here, as this newly-launched model at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva this week is the HondaJet Elite II private jet. For those who are not familiar, Honda is a full-fledged private aircraft manufacturer under the Honda Aircraft Company, apart from its other ICE-related ventures like automobiles, motorbikes, motorboats, and even lawnmowers.

Moving back to the HondaJet Elite II, this new model is touted to be the “fastest, farthest and highest-flying plane in its class.” The aircraft features a composite fuselage with a distinctive over-the-wing engine mount setup which comprises of a pair of GE Honda HF120 engines that can produce a total thrust output of more than 4,000 pounds.

This, in turn, grants the Elite II the ability to takeoff in a runaway as short as 1,128 M, while having a maximum travel range of up to 1,547 nautical miles (2,865 KM) with four occupants on board. Theoretically, you can fly this aircraft from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong without having to stop for refuelling.

As for its cabin, the standard Elite II variant comes with a six-seat layout, while there’s also another variant that offers seven instead. The marque has unveiled little about the Elite II’s new cabin, except for the fact that it has “improved acoustic treatments throughout the cabin”, which is further bolstered by the new Bongiovi aviation audio system.

Customers can choose either the Onyx or Steel interiors for the Elite II, with each of them featuring an “executive club arrangement” with two-tone leather upholstery for the swivelling seats. Apart from that, the aircraft also comes with a fully-enclosed lavatory that provides both privacy and comfort for the passengers.

In spite of its rather compact size, the Elite II comes with a total of 1,756 litres of storage space – more than enough to pack all six passengers’ fancy luggages.

As for the cockpit tech, the Elite II sports Garmin G3000 avionics suite that features automated anti-ice, lightning and pressurising system, as well as an under-speed protection. More importantly, this private jet now comes with an Emergency Autoland function, which allows the plane to land itself without any human control. 

Designed not to be used constantly like the autopilot system, this system will be useful in dire situations where the pilots are deemed incapable of landing the plane. Instead of crashing, the plane can land by itself, thanks to this new autonomous function.

Honda however, has yet to unveil the retail price for the Elite II, as the aircraft is still pending for approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. We’ll be expecting to know its price once the aircraft gets the approval certificate from the aforementioned agency.

Should you have the means to own this private jet, would you consider taking it to go alongside your Honda vehicles? But more importantly, which Honda models will fit the most with the Elite II here? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, then…