Honda JP pulls the plug on the honda civic, For good.

[TorqueHappenS08]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/15/report-honda-civic-sales-ending-in-japan/

Really saddening in a way, and highly unsuspecting, Especially for the home market.

 

[Groove]

Wait, just the sedan won't be made anymore. There's no word on the coupe or the hatchback.

 

[SeekerOfTheApex]

I was rather shocked by the news, but one line gave me a chuckle. The Japanese market is prefering compact cars to the Civic. Now, in America, we consider the Civic a compact car! lol; how much smaller can a car get?

Jokes aside, it amounts to a shame, really. 450ish models sold in a month? But then again, Japan has been a tough market for some time. Road & Track ran an article a few months back on the high decline of car culture in Japan over the last few years. This is just more writing on the wall for it...

Truely a sad occasion.

 

[PureAwesomeness]

The Civic has been dead here for years. Honda just hammered the last nail in its coffin. Honda's best hope of keeping the Civic name alive was by pushing its hybrid engine but instead they released the Insight which was more reasonably priced and better poised to compete with its rival, Toyota's Prius.

Thr problem with the last Civics was that they didn't do anything well enough to justify their existence. The Fit (Jazz) was more compact, more agile and more efficient. The Insight more 'eco' and modern in looks.

I bought a brand new Civic 9 years ago when that model had just been released. I bought it because previous Civic generations had been so good. What a disappointment. Gutless engine, plastic-galore interior, poor visibility, difficult to park and disappointing in almost every other respect. I sold it after 6 months.

Things in Japan rarely stay dead though. If and when Honda judge that the time is right, I reckon they might resurrect the Civic name. Hopefully they'll remember what it was about the old Civics that made them so popular.

 

[Famine]

Things in Japan rarely stay dead though.

I know. I've seen the films. I'd rather walk onto a game reserve naked but for a freshly-killed gazelle suit than take a stroll through a Japanese cemetary.

I was rather shocked by the news, but one line gave me a chuckle. The Japanese market is prefering compact cars to the Civic. Now, in America, we consider the Civic a compact car! lol; how much smaller can a car get?

About eight feet shorter, two feet lower, three feet thinner and 1500lb lighter.

 

[PureAwesomeness]

I know. I've seen the films. I'd rather walk onto a game reserve naked but for a freshly-killed gazelle suit than take a stroll through a Japanese cemetary.

That would be cemetery. And I was speaking figuratively of course.

 

[Famine]

Graveyerd. I don't plan on being anywhere near one long enough.

 

[Sniffs]

well, considering the fit has basically taken over it's slot, I can see. the civic label is also pretty old, now. I believe it's only a couple years younger than I am. besides, I can't picture a sedan anywhere but over here in the States

 

[Eric.]

What, really? The number of fits compared to the number Civics around here wouldn't make any sense to do this. In fact I see the Civic everywhere as one of the more popular small(er) sedans...


Odd decision.

 

[MSZ]

What, really? The number of fits compared to the number Civics around here wouldn't make any sense to do this. In fact I see the Civic everywhere as one of the more popular small(er) sedans...


Odd decision.

Different markets, last month Honda have sold 40k Fits and only 450 Civics in Japan.

 

[Eric.]

So is the plan to keep selling them in North America or to scrap it entirely?

edit: read the article. Nevermind.


But I'd assume this means there won't be another high performance Civic after this one.

 

[niky]

Might be... but none for Japan.

The Fit, except for a few nanometers less elbow room, is an infinitely superior car for all markets save the US... because in the US, size perception matters, and despite interior space, the Fit looks small.

I doubt it'll stay dead for long, with Honda already working on a new Civic which promises to be lighter.

I think it's a shame. nearly five years on and I think the FD (not like PureAwesomeness's EP or ES...) is still one of the best compact-class cars on the market.

 

[Eric.]

It seems like they'd be better off selling Type Rs globally as the same car. Rather than a separate JDM/Euro model, then Si's here...I don't know how spartan the FD is though. Si's are always loaded, and having it any other way probably wouldn't appeal to the US market much.


I know two people who like the Fit. One of them owns one. Everybody else thinks they are ugly, look like minivans, etc.

 

[Sniffs]

it's America's "hate affair" with anything with a sloping roofline or that could be precieved as a Hatchback. there ARE exceptions, but I don't really get it. it's like we hate everything that isn't a plain old sedan or a pickup...

 

[homeforsummer]

It's not a disaster really, since the Civic is only disappearing from Japan. The home market gets a vast array of cars and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they end up competing with their own model line. In Japan, I'd expect the Civic is completely interchangable with the Jazz/Fit, Insight, CR-Z, and probably a bunch of their minivans. The minivans and the Fit are more practical, the Insight is more economical, and the CR-Z more compact and more fun. And if you really want a sedan, you probably just buy an Accord.

 

[Jim Prower]

The question, then, is what will be the next Type-R in Japan? Will there be one?

 

[niky]

Fit Type R?







Oooooooh... I'm giddy with delight.

-

The Civic competes with the Fit, the Insight, and the Civic-based Stream. The Stream is interesting in that it gives MPV-functionality in a Civic chassis... same engines, FWD or AWD.