New Honda SUT Light Truck to Be Made in Canada

Honda, while producing automotive hit after hit over the last three decades, has had its share of duds too. Remember the 1993 to '97 Civic del Sol? Probably not. It replaced the extremely popular Civic-based CRX

A recipe for ultimate success or imminent failure? Only time will tell if Honda has made the right decision with the SUT (concept SUT shown). (Photo: Honda Canada)

sport hatch of the 1980s and early '90s, and fell flat on its pudgy little face. Honda's Accord hatchback was also a no-go here in North America, other than the first generation car that quickly became the sporty alternative to VW's Scirocco.

Only time will tell if the SUT is a big seller or a sales flop, but either way Honda should be commended for its innovation in a volatile market. The SUT will fill a vehicle niche that no other automaker felt there was a need to fill - a recipe for either ultimate success or disastrous failure.

No matter how well it does in sales, buyers will at least most likely be rewarded with stellar reliability. Honda is the top rated non-premium brand in J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the same organization's Initial Quality Survey (IQS), achieving 6th and 4th place finishes respectively out of 37 automakers.