In its 10th generation, Honda’s iconic brand is back with more flair, space and gizmos. A diesel engine too. Perfect, then?
The Honda City has been the model that defines the Japanese brand, in India. Over years and generations, it has grown to be an icon and has made customers hardcore Honda loyalists. It has made customers want more. Unfortunately, that’s where the problem begins. It must be a frustrating time being a Honda salesperson, sitting on a massive base of City customers, many of whom are ready to upgrade and then watch them move to other brands simply because there is no Honda alternative on offer. The Accord (now Accord Hybrid) being at a different high, a sedan alliance with a customer for Honda usually ended with the City. Well, things are about to change. Again.
More than a decade ago, Honda brought in a brand that defines it globally just like the City defines it in India. The eighth-generation Civic was unlike anything we had seen in terms of lavish design and a cabin that looked like it was from the future (the large digital speedo was out of this world). Little wonder that it soon found a lot of takers. More for the manual version. It did come with a torque convertor AT but fuel efficiency was a big deal for most Indians. Even for those buying 12-lakh-rupee cars. Ironically, it was fuel efficiency that finally did the Civic in, as we realised how diesels were becoming increasingly refined and also returning better fuel figures than petrol-powered cars. Honda did not have a ready diesel at the time and it finally pulled the plug on the Civic, to focus on the sustained popularity of its existing petrol-powered cars and also showed a brief interest in smaller cars.
A lot has happened in the last eight-odd years and while the Civic segment remained one of the slowest growing, it also managed to climb up the hierarchy ladder. So, there was an opportunity to price it higher. Plus, the void it had left was being used by rivals so after ditching the ninth-gen car for India, the Civic returns as you read this.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2019 من BBC TopGear India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2019 من BBC TopGear India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Mi5 SILENT, POSH AND LETHAL!
With its reimagined design language, BMW has done what it does best-divided opinion with the kind of fervour usually reserved for debates about pineapple on pizza.
A VIRAL ESCAPE
The last time I visited Hampi in Karnataka was back in 2021, just as the world began to shake off the COVID-19 travel bans.
FROM UNDERDOG TO CHAMPION
Thierry Neuville's Journey to WRC Glory
Max Verstappen: FOUR-TIME CHAMP UNDER THE VEGAS LIGHTS
From dominance to resilience, Verstappen cements his legacy while Mercedes shines in Sin
VOLKSWAGEN VIRTUS GT PLUS SPORT: SEXY+SPORT
Volkswagen has a knack for keeping their loyal and enthusiastic customers grinning from ear to ear. The German manufacturer has almost become synonymous with build quality, safety and performance.
BE GE AND XEV 9E Sexy and Ballsy!
Starting a review can be quite a challenge, especially when it's hard to pinpoint the flaws!
CAPTURING THE ESSENCE
Chilly, cold mornings and Mumbai is a rare combination that we seldom see in this part of our beautiful country.
BATTLE OF TWO GOLIATHS
When Luxury Meets Performance, Who Takes the Crown?
THE E-MPV THAT DARES TO DREAM BIG
The MPV market, dominated for aeons by Toyota's Innova, has always felt like a rather predictable place. It's the type of vehicle you buy not out of passion but practicality-like a pair of orthopaedic shoes.
IMPRACTICAL YET IRRESISTIBLE
Exactly ten years ago, I took my first international trip. It was to Bahrain, a country of endless desert and skyscrapers, where my aunt and uncle lived. Among their friends and neighbours, one particular gentleman, upon learning I was a budding petrolhead, took an entire day off work to take me around the city’s showrooms to see some “normal” Middle East traffic.
