Premium Affair

There’s a breath of fresh air in a segment that’s been almost stagnant for a while. Can the Civic rise to the throne against the global giants?

- Agasti Kaulgi

SUVs seem to be stealing the thunder from these premium sedans for a while now. Though, globally, the likes of the Corolla and the Civic have done wonders for their respective companies, they’ve failed rather badly in the Indian continent. Yeah, there’s a good reason why one should think that SUVs are more practical in our conditions. For one, we love carrying people and their luggage and SUVs do allow more room and second, given the condition of our roads, you don’t need Einstein-like IQ to know that SUVs do offer more ruggedness and peace of mind on broken roads.

But there’s a lot that executive sedans bring to the table too. Comfort, ease of driving and a fair bit of sophistication are a few things from the list. The Corolla has ruled the segment for over a decade now and it’s been the undisputed king with the sort of kit it offers and the reliability it brings along with it. Skoda disrupted that and made a little dent in Toyota’s character with the driving pleasure and sharp dynamics it offers. Its appeals to the growing breed of young achievers in India. The Elantra too made a mark for itself with the sort of design and features it offers to its buyers, but Hyundai has been almost quiet about it after bringing the new generation in 2016.

With years of speculation, hope and wish among the purists in the segment, Honda sort of let the other players pass through the lull period in the sedan segment and patiently waited for the new generation of the popular Civic. And just when a lot of people thought that there’s no hope left in this segment, they brought the Civic and rewrote rules. And since the time it’s hit the showroom floor, Honda has managed to sell more Civics than the entire segment. But is that just the initial burst, or is this thing here to sustain?