The sales numbers are in for the first six months of 2011 and, like the previous 13 years, the Honda Civic is Canada’s bestselling car. However, its lead is actually pretty thin, and Honda must be wondering if it can pull it off for a 14th year in a row.
Two major events that took place this year could result in an end of Honda’s reign. First of all, the Civic has been redesigned; granted, in the previous 13 years, the compact-car champ got rejuvenated twice and still maintained its lead.
Only this time, the Civic’s redesign is an evolution rather than a revolution. It boasts completely-new sheetmetal, but it arguably looks the same as the previous-gen model. The base 1.8L engine is a carryover, and despite some tweaking, output is unchanged; fuel economy is improved, however, slightly with the manual transmission and notably with the 5-speed automatic.
Second, the unfortunate events that occurred earlier in Japan have a ripple effect on production. Yes, aside from the Hybrid model, the Civic is built in Ohio and in Alliston, Ontario. But only a few important Japan-sourced components required in the car’s assembly is all it takes to slow down production.
In June, Civic sales in Canada totalled 4,682 units; a good result that was however beaten by the Hyundai Elantra, which found 4,975 new owners last month.
Here are the top 10 bestselling cars in Canada during the first 6 months of 2011:
Looking at the numbers, the only serious threat to the Civic’s lead is the Elantra. And we’re pretty sure both Honda and Hyundai will do what it takes to finish in the #1 spot. What’s the big deal, you may ask? From a marketing standpoint, it’s a huge deal. You don’t even have to figure out any clever taglines or slogans; you just have to say that you’ve got the bestselling car.
What this means for you and me: in the coming months, expect juicy incentives, low interest rates and room for a little negotiation.
Two major events that took place this year could result in an end of Honda’s reign. First of all, the Civic has been redesigned; granted, in the previous 13 years, the compact-car champ got rejuvenated twice and still maintained its lead.
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| Photo: Matt St-Pierre/Auto123.com |
Only this time, the Civic’s redesign is an evolution rather than a revolution. It boasts completely-new sheetmetal, but it arguably looks the same as the previous-gen model. The base 1.8L engine is a carryover, and despite some tweaking, output is unchanged; fuel economy is improved, however, slightly with the manual transmission and notably with the 5-speed automatic.
Second, the unfortunate events that occurred earlier in Japan have a ripple effect on production. Yes, aside from the Hybrid model, the Civic is built in Ohio and in Alliston, Ontario. But only a few important Japan-sourced components required in the car’s assembly is all it takes to slow down production.
In June, Civic sales in Canada totalled 4,682 units; a good result that was however beaten by the Hyundai Elantra, which found 4,975 new owners last month.
Here are the top 10 bestselling cars in Canada during the first 6 months of 2011:
- Honda Civic, 26,371
- Hyundai Elantra, 24,283
- Toyota Corolla, 18,853
- Chevrolet Cruze, 18,769
- Mazda3, 18,446
- Volkswagen Jetta, 14,068
- Ford Focus, 12,659
- Hyundai Accent, 11,304
- Ford Fusion, 10,154
- Hyundai Sonata, 9,269
Looking at the numbers, the only serious threat to the Civic’s lead is the Elantra. And we’re pretty sure both Honda and Hyundai will do what it takes to finish in the #1 spot. What’s the big deal, you may ask? From a marketing standpoint, it’s a huge deal. You don’t even have to figure out any clever taglines or slogans; you just have to say that you’ve got the bestselling car.
What this means for you and me: in the coming months, expect juicy incentives, low interest rates and room for a little negotiation.