There was a time when I was a huge fan of every vehicle Honda produced. This affection for the brand probably came from my liking of the Hero Honda 97.2 cc motorbike produced in India since the mid 1980s. I was fascinated by the sound of the 4 stroke engine as it reminded me of the Enfield Bullet (a bigger bike) with a much deeper 4 stroke note. People of my generation who grew up in India, always looked up to the Bullet as the ultimate riding machine (no offense, BMW). When I heard Hero Honda for the first time, my reaction (as would have been of every other Indian) was that "this sounds like a Bullet".
As I grew up, my affection for all things automotive and cars in particular also increased and Honda occupied a special place there. When Honda started producing cars in India, they came out with a model called the Honda City. Launched in 1.3 and 1.5L gas (petrol) engine configurations, these cars had a power output of 90 and 100 BHP respectively and were the most powerful cars available in the country at that time. These were also the most fun to drive cars. The city soon became a huge success and other manufacturers also started producing cars with similar power but were unable to match the status which the city enjoyed. I found Honda enjoying the status of fun-filled family cars during my trips to Malaysia and UK as well.
In the US, I got the chance to experience the full range of Honda offerings; some in closeup, some from a distance, some from the inside and some from the outside. Interestingly, the design of every model seems to be moving from sharp to bland to dull. Here are a few examples -
1. Accord - Has grown in size from 2004 & 2006. When I saw the 2008 model I was confused. The side profile seemed to draw cues from a Saturn L300 while the car as a whole looked uninteresting. In the mild refreshes since then, Honda has tried to give it a more aggressive stance but still in terms of looks, I would consider it near the bottom of its segment. Sales figures for the car, however, do indicate that customers are still loyal to the legendary Accord reliability.
2. Insight - This has been the biggest disappointment from Honda. Looks apart, the car overall seems like it has been put together in haste. I agree Honda has been desperate to get a foothold in the Hybrid segment and the failure of Accord Hybrid, low volumes of Civic Hybrid were not really helping this effort. While Toyota was flying with its Prius, Honda could not even scratch the surface. The Insight, though a product with the right intentions just does not have the matter to be even considered a competitor to the Prius. It does reaffirm the phrase though "Imitation is the best form of Flattery".
3. CRZ - A hybrid sports coupe. An interesting concept! How well is it executed though? From what I have read (haven't seen one yet), the car fails to generate the excitement a driver would expect from a sports car. Though a Hybrid, it is not known for its gas mileage and Hyundai seems to be gunning for it with its soon to be launched "Veloster". The car does have a feather in its cap though. It was awarded the Japan car of the year 2010. I doubt how much of an effect that would have on its US sales.
4. Pilot - While competitors have moved toward more curvy, stylish and crossover like offerings, the Pilot has grown to become more boxy and truck like. I see far less new Honda pilots on road now as compared to a Traverse, CX-9, Highlander etc.
5. Element - Honda finally realized that the car was not exactly doing a good job finding a place in American family garage. The car will soon end its production run.
6. Ridgeline - Winner of the Motor Trend truck of the year 2006. It does seem though that it requires a little more of everything to be a successful truck in America. An under bed storage is not a good enough USP. Toyota did a much better job of positioning its truck offerings Tundra and Tacoma.
7. Accord Crosstour - Launched as a direct competition to the Toyota Venza, I am having a hard time figuring out areas where it fairs better.
8. Fit & CRV - These are winners and I do not want to complain about them one bit. Though I would like to mention that competition is catching up pretty quick.
9. Odyssey - The minivan king. The 2011 model can be considered as a great engineering effort. I cannot say the same about the design though. I am also surprised that Honda would offer a 5 speed transmission on the base model.
10. Civic - Finally I come to the Civic. One of my favorite cars. Though getting old, it is still a good looker. I had hoped for a new Civic for the 2011 model year but with Honda moving to a 5 year product cycle, I will be eagerly awaiting the 2012 civic. With the launch of new Elantra and Focus, the competitions seems to have an early lead in this segment.
As I have written earlier, I have always admired Honda for their products. But today, I believe it needs a fresh look at its designs. It still offers one of best powertrains in the Industry but that alone will not be enough to beat the competition.
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