Mild-Mannered Redesign Lands in a Tough Neighborhood
NOW is not the patch for Honda to rest the updated 2012 Civic on its ancestors' laurels. The brief car market is stacked.
Hyundai redesigned the Elantra for 2011, and it's raise in every way except where it was already ahead -- it is still keenly priced and covered by a 10-year powertrain undertaking.
The new Kia Forte can't be taken for granted, the Mazda 3 is plausible, Subaru has a nice niche with its all-wheel-control Impreza and Volkswagen has re-engineered the Jetta for American group consumption. Then there is Ford's all-new Focus, a huge increase forward, and even Chevrolet, burdened with a 50-year legacy of terrible small cars, is booking big sales with its unbelievably good Cruze.
It's a tough crowd, and half-efforts and epidermis-deep revisions aren't likely to be enough to take wing to the top.
But that's exactly what Honda has delivered with the somewhat-new ninth-institution Civic. The car is, for the most part, a mild revamping of the eighth-reproduction coupes and sedans that went on sale for the 2006 example year. Most of the mechanical elements carry over in a new outside that's even less visually interesting than before.
New York Times (blog)It's penniless to argue with the fuel economy results—though both Hyundai's six-hurry Elantra, and Chevrolet's (manual only) Cruze Eco have preferably EPA ratings. But a stickier, more somber point is the feel that Honda could do better, Civic goes for the throatall 152 talk articles »
Hyundai's Veloster revolutionizes the coupeHyundai's today's take here implements a conventionally hinged door on the passenger side of the Veloster, providing tried and ready access to the surprisingly spacious back seats. The passenger-side rear door handle is hidden to carry on the coupe design and more »