Honda (Acura)
Oh la la. Talk about a sinking ship. This Japanese automaker had the industry copying its every move 15 years ago when the entire Honda and Acura lineups made non-owners green with envy. The Civic Si, the Acura Integra... now that was some car!
Today, the Civics and Accords are still good sellers, but more out of habit than pure desire like in the past. They've lost so much soul and substance that we can almost see through them. Their watered-down looks, virtual disappearance of driving excitement and dwindling sales show that Honda has derailed. Even Honda knows it.
Here's an idea: Hire a German designer who will give the brand its lustre back, much like Kia did. Consumers still like Honda and we're convinced that they will embrace the return of true Honda cars. It shouldn't take a couple more years.
Mazda This relatively small Japanese automaker is slowly yet surely recovering from its long stint as one of the FoMoCo's holdings. If, for a while, it depended heavily on them (and Volvo) for many of its mainstream products, no one ever doubted that Mazda had the engineering capabilities to make it on their own.
Cases in point: the RX-8 and the MX-5. Both are (or were in the RX's case) original, fun, flamboyant and all Mazda. Now masters of their domain, they’ve wasted no time in introducing their own Eco-flavoured technology called SkyActiv. New technology is all fine and dandy but it's product that makes the business world go round. Enter the all-new CX-5, a compact crossover set to compete in one of the most demanding segments in the business. From where we stand, it should do very well.
Not all is rosy as sales of their previously very popular midsize 6 sedan have slumped dramatically for reasons that escape most. The recently introduced 2 is also not performing up to snuff. Expectations were high for the subcompact but its low-brow mechanicals are hurting its appeal, especially when compared to the Ford Fiesta.
Mitsubishi
It wasn't so long ago when Mitsubishi dealerships needed bouncers and waiting lines to control the hoards of people looking to get into a new car from this relatively unknown carmaker on the Canadian scene. Barely 9 years have passed since they got here and things went from OK, to awesome, to very bad...
Mitsubishi had some incredible cars which helped build its reputation over the years. The Lancer EVO and the Eclipse were legendary in their own rights in the 90s. In the early 2000s, the Oultander and new Lancer took over but it was the other cars and trucks that flailed. The Galant never took off, the Endeavor stalled, the Eclipse fizzled out; no amount of love could be had by these vehicles.
The current Lancer remains a proper contender; however, its styling is far too long in the tooth and no amount of interior enhancements can make its cabin look any less boring. The silver lining is the i-Miev. Mitsubishi will need to promote the heck out of this one to get the word out to help restore this Japanese maker's appeal. Another ingredient needed for Mitsubishi's showroom-salad is the Colt. This subcompact could potentially improve the ambient flavor but before they import the little one, they need to rework the Lancer from the ground up.
Oh la la. Talk about a sinking ship. This Japanese automaker had the industry copying its every move 15 years ago when the entire Honda and Acura lineups made non-owners green with envy. The Civic Si, the Acura Integra... now that was some car!
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| 2012 Honda Civic EX sedan (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
Today, the Civics and Accords are still good sellers, but more out of habit than pure desire like in the past. They've lost so much soul and substance that we can almost see through them. Their watered-down looks, virtual disappearance of driving excitement and dwindling sales show that Honda has derailed. Even Honda knows it.
Here's an idea: Hire a German designer who will give the brand its lustre back, much like Kia did. Consumers still like Honda and we're convinced that they will embrace the return of true Honda cars. It shouldn't take a couple more years.
Mazda This relatively small Japanese automaker is slowly yet surely recovering from its long stint as one of the FoMoCo's holdings. If, for a while, it depended heavily on them (and Volvo) for many of its mainstream products, no one ever doubted that Mazda had the engineering capabilities to make it on their own.
Cases in point: the RX-8 and the MX-5. Both are (or were in the RX's case) original, fun, flamboyant and all Mazda. Now masters of their domain, they’ve wasted no time in introducing their own Eco-flavoured technology called SkyActiv. New technology is all fine and dandy but it's product that makes the business world go round. Enter the all-new CX-5, a compact crossover set to compete in one of the most demanding segments in the business. From where we stand, it should do very well.
Not all is rosy as sales of their previously very popular midsize 6 sedan have slumped dramatically for reasons that escape most. The recently introduced 2 is also not performing up to snuff. Expectations were high for the subcompact but its low-brow mechanicals are hurting its appeal, especially when compared to the Ford Fiesta.
Mitsubishi
It wasn't so long ago when Mitsubishi dealerships needed bouncers and waiting lines to control the hoards of people looking to get into a new car from this relatively unknown carmaker on the Canadian scene. Barely 9 years have passed since they got here and things went from OK, to awesome, to very bad...
Mitsubishi had some incredible cars which helped build its reputation over the years. The Lancer EVO and the Eclipse were legendary in their own rights in the 90s. In the early 2000s, the Oultander and new Lancer took over but it was the other cars and trucks that flailed. The Galant never took off, the Endeavor stalled, the Eclipse fizzled out; no amount of love could be had by these vehicles.
The current Lancer remains a proper contender; however, its styling is far too long in the tooth and no amount of interior enhancements can make its cabin look any less boring. The silver lining is the i-Miev. Mitsubishi will need to promote the heck out of this one to get the word out to help restore this Japanese maker's appeal. Another ingredient needed for Mitsubishi's showroom-salad is the Colt. This subcompact could potentially improve the ambient flavor but before they import the little one, they need to rework the Lancer from the ground up.