In terms of hanging on to its position as the best-selling car in Canada, there doesn't seem to be much else that Honda could do to make the completely new 2006 Civic more attractive to consumers, except for maybe adding a wagon version to keep up with changing tastes.
In general, however, the eighth-generation Civic looks to be all over the sweet spot in the compact car category (the largest in the Canadian market), with four distinct versions, three new powertrains with increased performance levels, more interior space, a "stylistic" exterior design, a refined interior, "class-leading" standard safety features, and "an overall increased level of vehicle quality with a fun-to-drive character."
All of these things massage the pleasure points of informed and demanding car buyers in a certain budget category, since they promise a greater experience for about the same money.
But what's most important is what Honda has not done, which is tamper with its reputation as the number one car on the list of choices for people who don't know or don't care anything about cars and indeed are only buying one because they have to have a car and want to spend as little time as possible thinking about it or dealing with it, okay?
A better car and a better value appeals to these folks for sure, since they feel that cars are simply appliances, not antidotes for insecurity, or club membership dues, or fashion statements, or objets d'art, or gas-powered ED treatments, or whatever else fuels the brains of more impressionable buyers.
Interestingly, car companies worry about the notion that people buy their cars because they're appliances, as it suggests that their creations aren't good enough to fuel the desires of people who appreciate cars for what they really are, that one day someone will invent a better appliance and their buyers will desert them and there'll be nothing to attract real car lovers.
Right now, however, it means that thousands and thousands of Canadians would line up to buy a Civic in 2006 (over 1.2 million have been sold here since 1973) if it were exactly the same as it was in 2005.
But for the folks who really want to have the latest toy in the $20,000 to $25,000 range (based on 2005 prices), Honda has made a compelling case for the Civic. Honda Canada claims the new model puts the Civic "outside the boundaries of traditional small car thinking."
Accepting Honda's view on the new Civic would be a personal decision for every consumer, of course, but there things about the 2006 model that look appealing.
In the first place it's bigger than the model it replaces. Not bigger in a way that's visible to the naked eye, but certainly will be obvious to many a naked elbow or coiffed head or pantyhose-covered knee.
To meet more consumer demands or tastes, there are four unique versions of the 2006 Civic. There's the regular Sedan and Coupe (favorites among appliance buyers across the country), the Si Coupe for more sporty tastes, and a Hybrid sedan for people who are willing to pay a premium to use less fuel, though probably not enough to recover the extra cost of the vehicle.
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| 2006 Honda Civic Sedan (Photo: Honda) |
All of these things massage the pleasure points of informed and demanding car buyers in a certain budget category, since they promise a greater experience for about the same money.
But what's most important is what Honda has not done, which is tamper with its reputation as the number one car on the list of choices for people who don't know or don't care anything about cars and indeed are only buying one because they have to have a car and want to spend as little time as possible thinking about it or dealing with it, okay?
A better car and a better value appeals to these folks for sure, since they feel that cars are simply appliances, not antidotes for insecurity, or club membership dues, or fashion statements, or objets d'art, or gas-powered ED treatments, or whatever else fuels the brains of more impressionable buyers.
 |
| 2006 Honda Civic Coupe (Photo: Honda) |
Right now, however, it means that thousands and thousands of Canadians would line up to buy a Civic in 2006 (over 1.2 million have been sold here since 1973) if it were exactly the same as it was in 2005.
But for the folks who really want to have the latest toy in the $20,000 to $25,000 range (based on 2005 prices), Honda has made a compelling case for the Civic. Honda Canada claims the new model puts the Civic "outside the boundaries of traditional small car thinking."
 |
| 2006 Honda Civic Sedan (Photo: Honda) |
In the first place it's bigger than the model it replaces. Not bigger in a way that's visible to the naked eye, but certainly will be obvious to many a naked elbow or coiffed head or pantyhose-covered knee.
To meet more consumer demands or tastes, there are four unique versions of the 2006 Civic. There's the regular Sedan and Coupe (favorites among appliance buyers across the country), the Si Coupe for more sporty tastes, and a Hybrid sedan for people who are willing to pay a premium to use less fuel, though probably not enough to recover the extra cost of the vehicle.