It’s not often that an established car company, such as Honda, flops on one of its most important new models. It’s even more surprising when that model, despite being panned by the press, proves to be a hit with the customers.
As you may be aware by now, that’s exactly what happened just 18 months ago when the Japanese carmaker revealed the ninth generation of the Civic: it got panned by Consumer Reports, which denied it a “recommended” rating and dropped it to the bottom of its list. As a result, CEO Takanobu Ito apologized in public and the company rushed in a facelift.
In spite of the 2012 Civic sales being up 40 percent, to 234,029 units, through September, making Honda’s compact model the sixth best-selling car in the U.S., its replacement was unveiled at the LA Auto Show.
The 2013 Civic has received a host of changes that seek to address criticism aimed at the 2012 model. The Coupe remains unchanged, save for new wheels, but the sedan features a black honeycomb mesh grille, new clear-lens corner lights and a taller, more sculpted hood up front and a new trunk lid, taillights and restyled bumper at the rear.
