Source with write up; http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/2012-volkswagen-beetle-revealed/
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Showing posts with label Compact Car News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Compact Car News. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
2012 VW Beetle
I've gotta say, I really like what they did with the backend....
Source with write up; http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/2012-volkswagen-beetle-revealed/
Source with write up; http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/2012-volkswagen-beetle-revealed/
Friday, April 15, 2011
CTV: Honda arms the Civic for the small car wars
Jeremy Cato, Autos.CTV.ca
Date: Friday Apr. 15, 2011 6:35 AM ET
How important is the Civic compact to Honda Canada? Beyond measure.
The Civic is at the centre of the company's lineup -- more critical than the Accord midsize sedan and vastly more central to everything that is Honda.
Forget about the other niche models Honda sells in Canada, from the CR-Z hybrid to the Accord Crosstour crossover. There is nothing niche about the Civic and that's why next week's launch of the all-new 2012 Civic means the world to Honda.
Consider: The Civic has been Canada's best-selling passenger car for 13 years running. Honda has sold some 1.6 million Civics in Canada and built 3.6 million and counting at its Alliston, Ontario plant. The Civic is at the core of Honda.
It is also Honda's second-best-selling car in the U.S. after the Accord and was the fourth-best-selling car overall in 2010. The Civic franchise is critical for Honda, which in turn depends on the North American market for more of its overall sales and profits than any other Japanese auto maker.
So if you want to check the pulse of Japan's No. 3 auto maker, take the temperature of Civic sales. And according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, the patient is under the weather. Civic sales were down 8.2 per cent (to 57,505) in 2010. Not surprisingly, Honda brand sales overall were down in 2010, a year in which the Honda brand lost fully half a point of market share.
The story only gets more serious for Honda in 2011. In March, sales of compact cars accounted for 54.4 per cent of all passenger car sales. The Civic's share of all that, however, shrank -- arguably in the face of intense competition, not to mention Honda's own supply and production problems resulting from the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan.
Now put aside for the moment the current crisis in Japan and how it's having an impact on Honda and other Japanese car companies. Instead, consider Honda's specific dilemma with the Civic as an automobile.
The core Honda model has never been more important, not since 1973 when the first Civic arrived. Moreover, the ninth generation Civic has never faced such competition -- from the all-new Hyundai Elantra, to the all-new Ford Focus to the all-new Chevrolet Cruze and more.
Meanwhile, the Civic's core buyers remain baby boomers who are loyal but aging. Honda desperately has been trying and failing to attract the under-35 crowd which has been shopping Mazdas and Kias and Hyundais and other brands. That needs to change.
Now you have the picture. In the run-up to next week's on-sale date, Honda has come out swinging, defending its Civic turf and claiming it will conquer new ground with the new Civic.
Honda has said the fuel economy of the latest Civic would be brilliant, though the company has declined to provide details on the actual fuel economy, as well as engine size, weight, interior features or suggested price.
Company officials have promised the new Civic will be more comfortable, lighter, cheaper, smarter, highly entertaining to drive, ultra-safe, incredibly reliable and more fuel efficient than the current generation, too. Sounds like the perfect car.
Making such bold claims has put added pressure on for Honda to hit the bull's-eye, especially given the company delayed the new model by a year to help save cash during the recession. That may have been a serious mistake.
The delay allowed Honda's rivals to launch their own Civic competitors before the new Civic had a chance to hit showrooms. The Cruze, Elantra and Focus all are on sale right now. Meanwhile, Toyota did a facelift of the Corolla and tweaked pricing to stay competitive.
If Honda had launched the Civic on schedule, it would have arrived fully a year before the competition had a chance to redefine the compact car game. In particular, the new entries from Detroit's auto makers pose an entirely new threat.
For decades, Japanese-brand car companies "had the corner on the small-car market. The domestic offerings were not at the same level, did not provide the same quality, value, reliability," says Rebecca Lindland, auto-industry specialist at consultant IHS Global Insight.
"That's changed a lot. We're seeing products coming out" of General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group "that are incredibly competitive. For example, Chevy Cruze and Ford Focus."
Thus, Honda and Toyota find themselves in the thick of an intense small-car war like never before. Perennial laggards Chevy, Ford and Hyundai have vastly improved new compacts on offer and they are getting plenty of attention.
That said, no one with any sense should underestimate Honda.
"They are still a very, very good engine company," Lindland says, adding that Honda vehicles also have a justified reputation for refinement and reliability.
What's been missing over at least the last decade of the Civic is a truly innovative Civic. At this critical juncture Honda will be watched carefully to see if the new one is an innovative, ground-breaking, segment-busting compact, or just another "safe" Civic like the previous generation and the several before it.
The eyes of the automotive world are on Honda for next week's Civic launch. Will Honda get it right?
Source;http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Autos/20110414/honda-canada-civic-jeremy-cato-autos-column-110415/
Thursday, April 7, 2011
2012 Nissan Versa preview
The exterior is more dynamic or sporty looking blend mix by feel luxury little bit, The taillight is same a design but differrent in detail. The wheelbase is 2,700 mm. longer than 2012 Honda Civic. Source; http://www.autoincar.com/spyshot-2012-nissan-tiida-in-china-before-auto-shanghai-show-2011/
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
2012 Civic: Honda Slims Down New Civic
Now that the new Civic has been unveiled, feedback has been positive....
By CHESTER DAWSON
Honda Motor Co. unveiled a svelter version of its mainstay compact Civic car at the Detroit auto show on Monday in an effort to prevent the auto maker's momentum from stalling out in the U.S. market. The ninth generation Civic will roll into showrooms this spring after disappointing sales last year of three recent Honda models, the CR-Z hybrid coupe, Accord Crosstour hatchback and Insight hybrid.
The latest Civic is designed to help Honda beat back challenges from an increasing array of competitors with new or refreshed models, including the General Motors's Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte. That stepped up rivalry in a segment long dominated by Honda and category leader Toyoya Motor Corp., with its Corolla model, comes as newer Honda models have failed to find much traction in the U.S. market.
Company officials say they are confident the new Civic will appeal to a wide cross-section of U.S. car buyers. "The new Civic will fulfill the needs of nearly every compact buyer," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co.
Yet sales last year of the CR-Z, which was launched in August, and the Accord Crossover, which was added to the Honda line-up in November 2009, both have been below the company's own forecasts. The Accord Crossover undersold same class rival the Toyota Venza by nearly 2-to-1 last year and the Honda Insight trailed even farther behind Toyota's Prius. Meanwhile, the new CR-Z has not succeeded in establishing a niche so far.
"A lot of people have suggested that Honda is coasting," said Aaron Bragman, a senior analyst with IHS Automotive. "Recently, they haven't been the successful innovator they were once known for being ."
Honda said the fuel economy of the latest Civic would be 40 miles per gallon, a level now standard for compact cars, but declined to provide details on the engine size, weight, interior features or suggested price.
However, company officials promised the new Civic would be smaller, lighter, cheaper and more fuel efficient than the current generation of their bread-and-butter model. In an effort to achieve those ambitious benchmarks, Honda at one point suspended development of the car which resulted in a delay of nearly a year from when the Civic had been expected to make its debut.
"The [economic] environment changed so we needed to make changes that better reflected a new reality," said Toshiyuki Okumoto, Honda's chief designer for the new Civic. "The overall scale was reduced, but we didn't change our newer styling concepts."
As Honda's second-best-selling car in the U.S. after the Accord and the fourth-best-selling car overall in 2010, the Civic franchise is one of the most important for Honda, which depends on the North American market for more of its overall sales and profits than any other Japanese auto maker.
Honda faces a difficult challenge in its need to bridge the expectations of older, existing Civic owners who it wants to keep loyal to the brand with the competitive need to offer a fresh enough product to attract younger, newer buyers. Even as Hyundai and several American brands picked up market share in the U.S. last year, Honda saw its share drop to 10.6%, down from 11% in 2009.
In addition to the standard model, Honda also will debut a new hybrid variant that will use for the first time a lithium-ion battery pack. What's more, the company plans to begin selling a natural gas-powered Civic across the country, expanding from current sales in just four states.
Source;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576074522250122938.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
By CHESTER DAWSONHonda Motor Co. unveiled a svelter version of its mainstay compact Civic car at the Detroit auto show on Monday in an effort to prevent the auto maker's momentum from stalling out in the U.S. market. The ninth generation Civic will roll into showrooms this spring after disappointing sales last year of three recent Honda models, the CR-Z hybrid coupe, Accord Crosstour hatchback and Insight hybrid.
The latest Civic is designed to help Honda beat back challenges from an increasing array of competitors with new or refreshed models, including the General Motors's Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte. That stepped up rivalry in a segment long dominated by Honda and category leader Toyoya Motor Corp., with its Corolla model, comes as newer Honda models have failed to find much traction in the U.S. market.
Company officials say they are confident the new Civic will appeal to a wide cross-section of U.S. car buyers. "The new Civic will fulfill the needs of nearly every compact buyer," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co.
Yet sales last year of the CR-Z, which was launched in August, and the Accord Crossover, which was added to the Honda line-up in November 2009, both have been below the company's own forecasts. The Accord Crossover undersold same class rival the Toyota Venza by nearly 2-to-1 last year and the Honda Insight trailed even farther behind Toyota's Prius. Meanwhile, the new CR-Z has not succeeded in establishing a niche so far.
"A lot of people have suggested that Honda is coasting," said Aaron Bragman, a senior analyst with IHS Automotive. "Recently, they haven't been the successful innovator they were once known for being ."
Honda said the fuel economy of the latest Civic would be 40 miles per gallon, a level now standard for compact cars, but declined to provide details on the engine size, weight, interior features or suggested price.
However, company officials promised the new Civic would be smaller, lighter, cheaper and more fuel efficient than the current generation of their bread-and-butter model. In an effort to achieve those ambitious benchmarks, Honda at one point suspended development of the car which resulted in a delay of nearly a year from when the Civic had been expected to make its debut.
"The [economic] environment changed so we needed to make changes that better reflected a new reality," said Toshiyuki Okumoto, Honda's chief designer for the new Civic. "The overall scale was reduced, but we didn't change our newer styling concepts."
As Honda's second-best-selling car in the U.S. after the Accord and the fourth-best-selling car overall in 2010, the Civic franchise is one of the most important for Honda, which depends on the North American market for more of its overall sales and profits than any other Japanese auto maker.
Honda faces a difficult challenge in its need to bridge the expectations of older, existing Civic owners who it wants to keep loyal to the brand with the competitive need to offer a fresh enough product to attract younger, newer buyers. Even as Hyundai and several American brands picked up market share in the U.S. last year, Honda saw its share drop to 10.6%, down from 11% in 2009.
In addition to the standard model, Honda also will debut a new hybrid variant that will use for the first time a lithium-ion battery pack. What's more, the company plans to begin selling a natural gas-powered Civic across the country, expanding from current sales in just four states.
Source;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576074522250122938.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Monday, January 10, 2011
2011 North American Auto Show: 2012 Honda Civic Sedan Concept
Very nice, can't wait to see what they're going to do to the interior....
Meanwhile, four-door buyers can expect an exterior design very similar to the 2011 Civic. Though the sedan's front-fascia wears a little bit more menace than the current design, the carried-over grille and headlights are more than a little familiar. Out back, new tail lamps and a re-sculpted trunk deck dominate the view.
Meanwhile, four-door buyers can expect an exterior design very similar to the 2011 Civic. Though the sedan's front-fascia wears a little bit more menace than the current design, the carried-over grille and headlights are more than a little familiar. Out back, new tail lamps and a re-sculpted trunk deck dominate the view.Honda says that for the first time, buyers in all 50 states will be able to get their hands on the natural-gas Civic. Previously, the green machine was only available in select markets. Additionally, the Civic Hybrid will now boast lithium-ion batteries as opposed nickel-metal hydride. Hit the jump for the full press release.
Source (w/more pix);
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