To say that the reception for the North American market 2012 Honda Civic was cold would probably be the understatement of the year. Pundits were very harsh on their comments for the New York Motor Show-revealed sedan and coupe models, making negative remarks about its stale styling and its cheap interior plastics.
Consumer Reports gave it the final blow: in a recent report, the publication described the 2012 model as “insubstantial” and with an interior that “feels cheap, a letdown from previous Civics”.
As a result, the 2012 Civic ranked second to last in CR’s report and lost its “recommended” tag for the first time in, well, as long as we can remember.
Even though the Civic was the most popular car in June, thanks in part to its marketing launch, demand dropped sharply thereafter.
As a result, Honda has made a big U-turn and acknowledged that the criticism may be justified: “We take feedback seriously, regardless of whom it’s from, and we will act accordingly quickly”, said American Honda executive vice president John Mendel during the media launch of the 2012 CR-V.
Initially, the mid-life update wasn’t scheduled until spring of 2014, but Mendel said it could take place as early as 2013.
However, Mendel acknowledges that, what with all the other problems Honda is facing, like the strong yen and yet another suppliers’ shortage due to the floods in Thailand, he can’t really commit to a deadline: “I don’t know how much we can do, and how quickly. But the comments of Consumer Reports and our customers have not gone unnoticed. We are appropriately energized.”
Story References: Automotive News [Sub. Req.]
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