When Honda handed out sketches of an all-new Civic Concept in December last year, she received a warm welcome from those looking for extensive changes to manufacturers long popular compact sedan.
Well, initiated the Honda press conference at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show last week, more than a little confusion - and even some disappointment. While we are journalists used to see things, diluted if a car manufacturer is moving from sketch to concept, and then from concept to production car. But the Civic Concept unveiled in Detroit is no fantasy in chrome. If anything, in terms of design, it is only a moderately warmed-over version of the current compact sedan.
This raises some serious questions about Honda's strategy at a time when the compact market is more competitive than in years. Until recently, Honda was able to assume that the only real competitor to the Civic would be the Toyota Corolla are. No new Chevrolet Cruze longer.The was generating quite a bit of buzz as the next generation Ford Focus, a major step forward in the Maker's global One Ford strategy. Then there is the new Hyundai Elantra, probably a more significant effort than the Korean car maker larger and more expensive Sonata.
The compact segment is more competitive than it was at about the memory, such as rising fuel prices, American motorists have to think about downsizing. It is expected that the production version of the Civic Concept solid reliability, driving pleasure and be well equipped. But on a broader scale to be in these days that not enough.And that underlines the problem that Honda can. The manufacturer has traditionally marked out his own path, providing a long series of surprises, from the original CR-X of the Acura NSX sports car (above). Even his mainstream offerings have been standouts. "But lately," laments George Peterson, senior analyst at AutoPacific, Inc., that "innovative companies () was missing the mark."
On the whole, the Japanese manufacturer, it went very well for the year 2010, although it lagged a bit behind the U.S. market overall, with 7.6% sales increase - volume for the year reached 1.23 million. But always have a clear idea of what the figures show, requires a much closer look. The manufacturer is largely being supported by a handful of core products, especially the Accord, Civic and the Honda Pilot at the division and the MDX, Acura TL and TSX on the page.
With rare exceptions, most of the manufacturers new models are stuck in neutral. True scored the Acura ZDX a seemingly solid 4,000% increase in sales compared to last year, but for all of 2010 sales still total only 3259. On the side of the new Honda Insight is not going anywhere. Designed to meet the iron grip of the Toyota Prius in the hybrid market challenge, Honda sold only 20 962 of its committed gas-electric offerings. And the Accord Cross tour was little more than a rounding error when you add up the figures for the entire Accord line at 28 851. What went wrong? Analyst Joe Philippi of Auto Trends Consulting, has the ZDX as a good example, suggesting "your style has totally got off track."
Perhaps such arguments encouraged Honda to take a play-it-safe approach to the design of déjà vu Civic Concept.
On the side of Acura, Philippi adds that the situation has to decide by apparent inability Honda, what exactly is the brand become more severe. Is it a luxury brand? A performance brand? Or it has a clear identity at all? With total sales of just under 130,000 last year, almost half of the leading high-line imports, may be the problem. For his part, is Honda's national marketing director Steve Center, the numbers do not really do justice to how well his company as a pianist by the recession. "We do not want to go for the jugular," he said, with heavy incentives in support of weak demand and weak models. "We run this place like a business," he adds, "not a runaway train."
Despite his conservative approach, as expected the next Civic Center "in the right place at the right time to be" recovered if the U.S. market - and especially if fuel prices to encourage a shift to smaller cars.
What gives Acura, center, the brand has lost focus, claimed a wave of new products come "within the next two years ... this address." And do not be surprised at some changes to the much-maligned, anime-style comic Acura be visible grid, he hints.It is good to hear, the manufacturer announced it has problems. Acura is a brand of particularly urgent help. But the main Honda brand, can not afford to lose its meaning once laser-like focus.
Of course, that is an outsider view. The market may be much more susceptible for an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach to the new Civic, which could provide the kind of slam dunk success of the model has made before.
It is better. Honda can not afford to be just another competitor in an important market segment, long dominated.
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