Next Gen Honda Civic to Arrive Late

Like clockwork, Honda models are routinely overhauled every five years, sometimes sooner. Other manufacturers follow a similar arrangement, but Honda is one of the few who does so across its entire model line.

Larger Civic

The Honda Civic, first introduced to the US market in the 1970s, has been consistently changed over the years, even growing in size from a B segment (subcompact) to a C segment (compact) model. It, along with the Accord, are the two top selling Honda models in America, perennial Top 10 finishers year after year.

The current generation of the Civic was introduced in September 2005 as a 2006 model, which means that an all new Civic is due out this September. In uncustomary fashion, Honda has decided to delay the Civic for at least one full year as it takes into consideration a couple of things: newer, stricter US fuel economy and emissions standards as well as fresh competition in the form of the Chevrolet Cruze and next generation Ford Focus.

Autoweek reports that Honda was originally considering making the next generation Civic even larger than the current model, but has since changed its plans to align it with the current model’s footprint. The Obama administration successfully pushed for tougher higher corporate average fleet economy numbers effective with 2016 models, necessitating automotive manufacturers being implementing changes in advance of the new regulations.

New Competition

Honda may also be taking a pause as they evaluate the impact of the Chevrolet Cruze which will debut this summer and the next generation Ford Focus, due out next year. These two compact cars have been selling well globally and are expected to give their Asian competitors stiff competition when they hit US showrooms.

By observing what Chevrolet and Ford are bringing to the market first, Honda will be able to make whatever changes necessary to make sure that the next generation Civic remains a top performer. And that delay may prove to be beneficial especially if the next Civic proves to be an even better model than the one it replaces.

Ford Enjoys September European Sales Surge

The Ford Motor Company has been enjoying some success lately, with its hybrid models well received, the Taurus getting rave reviews, while several Lincoln models are performing quite well. On the home front, Ford is doing its best to separate itself from its chief competitors – General Motors and Chrysler.

Ford Improves Internationally

Internationally, Ford is beginning to see some strong improvements too with Asian and Latin American sales advancing. Importantly, sales in Europe are also on the rise, climbing by 12.3% for September 2009 as 152,600 vehicles were sold. That effort also means that Ford’s market share in Europe is up, hitting 10.1%.

Ford credits its success in Europe with the introduction of a pair of new models – its tiny Ka and subcompact Fiesta. In addition, aggressive car scrappage programs conducted in several companies helped to bolster sales, the first time since September 2001 that Ford’s share of the market was in double-digits.

“Traditionally we expect Ford to have a good month in September given the surge of new car sales in the UK due to the registration plate change, but September 2009 has surpassed expectations,” said Ingvar Sviggum, Ford of Europe’s Vice-President for Marketing, Sales and Service. This really was an outstanding performance. I’d like to thank Ford employees, our dealers and, most of all, our customers, for helping to achieve such a strong performance in September.

Three Biggest Sellers

Ford remains the market leader in the United Kingdom and was also top in sales in Ireland, Turkey, Denmark and Hungary for the month. Ford of Europe’s three top-selling vehicles (19 main markets) were the Fiesta (51,400), Focus (32,100), and Mondeo (13,300). 11,700 units of the Ford Ka were also sold last month.

“Our continuing success in gaining market share despite the difficult economic situation shows that customers are willing to place their faith in Ford because we are providing them with the exciting and innovative new vehicles that they want to buy. This is particularly true of the new Ford Fiesta, which achieved its highest September sales volume since 1994.”

Fiesta, Focus For America

The Fiesta along with the European Focus will go on sale in the United States next year. Right now, one hundred Fiestas are being tested across the country, in a bid to gain customer feedback and to promote the model. Following the Fiesta’s debut next Spring, the Focus is expected to arrive by the fall. The Fiesta and Focus are part of a “One Ford” strategy where the automaker will share models across all of its markets.

See Also — Ford C-Max North American Bound?

Ford C-Max: North American Bound?

The Ford C-Max is a five passenger multi-purpose vehicle that is built and sold in Europe. The second generation model will be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show with an announcement that the vehicle is heading to North America pending.

In advance of its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the next generation Ford C-Max is generating a lot of buzz for Ford. Based on the same platform powering the all new Ford Focus, the C-Max is a compact multi-purpose vehicle, smaller than any crossover currently in Ford’s North American fleet.

Six European Models Heading Stateside

When the Ford Motor Company announced in 2008 that it would bring as many as six European designed vehicles to the American market, we quickly learned that the Transit Connect, Fiesta and Focus would be part of the first wave. The tiny Ka was mentioned by some automotive analysts as well as the Kuga, a midsize MPV.

But Ford has several other models which could come to North America, including the C-Max. Yesterday, word began to seep out online that the C-Max will head to our shores, an announcement Ford has yet to publicly confirm. Auto Trends believes that the C-Max announcement will either coincide with the Frankfurt unveiling or be handled separately in advance of the show.

Yet Another Thrifty Ford

No matter, if rumors about the C-Max are true, then Ford will have yet another thrifty, but roomy passenger vehicle available for sale. Sporting a steeply raked windshield, the C-Max offers seating for up to five passengers and is powered by a 1.6L I4 engine. However, for the American market, expect Ford to put a slightly larger 2.0L I4 engine underneath the hood, perhaps pairing it with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Interestingly, the Ford C-Max could end up being one of the first Ford models to be paired with Ford’s upcoming 2.0L EcoBoost I4 engine, which would give the MPV V6 power while retaining I4 fuel economy. That engine will likely find its way under the hood of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan first, with the C-Max and perhaps the Focus also offering that option.

Currently built in Germany, will the North American introduction of the Ford C-Max coincide with building the car in Mexico? If so, the Focus, Fiesta and C-Max would all be built in Mexico for export to the United States and Canada.

Photo Courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.

See Also — Ford Transit Connect Gets US Green Light Build