I owed this to Honda

Published July 23, 2017 on blogspot.com

Back in 2011, I wrote a blog about Honda. More specifically, I wrote about my disappointment with Honda. I felt Honda had lost its charm both on the design and performance sides and started producing boring cars, especially in North America.

Towards the end of that post, I wrote about my anticipation for the 2012 Civic considering the last generation (2006 model) was such a great car. Well, to put it mildly, Honda continued down the disappointing path. The 2012 model was a bigger disappointment than I had anticipated and led me to wonder what will it take to awaken the people running this iconic brand.

Well, it seems the all-around criticism for such an endeared (and mainstream) model did the trick and Honda majorly revised the Civic for the 2013 year. Major revisions within one model year are rare, if not unheard of and almost always are forced due to the costs.

Since then, Honda has done a great job with "almost" every model in its lineup. The 2013 Honda Accord was refreshing after the bland (Saturn L300ish) styling and Honda has managed to keep it fresh every year since. CRV has continued its presence managing to remain inconspicuous but contemporary. As expected, CRZ is dead and Accord Crosstour is gone. Ridgeline is a good truck but it doesn't fit the image of a mainstream in the same way those from Toyota and Nissan do.

I want to go back to Civic but will spend a minute on the Pilot. The declining share and continued innovation by its main competitor the Highlander, forced Honda to launch a major refresh. So finally, the 2016 model was the launched. It is hugely different (and advanced) than the one which dragged for almost a decade but honestly, is closer to a minivan than an SUV. I am not saying that's a bad thing. Minivans are the most practical cars and this one perhaps gets Honda the minivan buyers.

But, the primary reason I am writing this is because of the great work Honda has done with Civic. The 2016 model was a sweet departure from its predecessors. What excites me the most though is that Honda decided to compete with the hot hatches. The Civic Type R is an effort to reclaim some of the glory this model enjoyed. Having the courage to appeal to hardcore buyers by offering a manual only version deserves huge accolades.

I wish Honda continues down this path and keeps bringing us more awesome cars. Go Honda!

I long to see more diesels

Published Oct 8, 2012 on blogspot.com

Growing up with diesels, I always have had a sort of soft corner for them. Diesels were noisy, spewed black smoke and every vehicle I remember had NVH levels not a soul in the developed world would have approved of. But hey, I grew up in India where diesel engines were ubiquitous, offered higher fuel efficiency, lasted longer, could easily run on kerosene (an even cheaper fuel) and often available for 1/2 to 1/3rd the price of petrol (or gasoline / gas as is known in America). 

I have numerous memories of road trips I have taken in Mahindra Jeeps (yes the Jeep trademark was used in India till the 90s) and in Ambassador diesel. Conversion of old petrol vehicles to diesel ones was a cottage industry up until the late 90s, so much so that this was eating into the sales of new "diesel" vehicles.  It was funny to see older Maruti 800s, which were too small and light to support a diesel engine being beefed up and a diesel engine somehow shoved into their engine bays. 

For the uninformed, it is worth mentioning that until the late 90s in India, there was hardly any luxury appeal with the cars sold. Though the personal car market was revolutionized once Suzuki was allowed to launch the Maruti 800 in 1983, it wasn't uncommon to see up to 6 adults stuffed in such a small car. Even today, the most important buying consideration is fuel economy and unlike other developed countries, the bare bones base models make up the bulk of sales numbers. Almost every compact car sold in India today offers a diesel model and it generally outsells its petrol twin 2:1.

So with this history behind me, when I landed in Chicago in 2005, the very first vehicle I noticed as I walked out of the airport doors was a GMC Yukon Denali. It was cold so I could see vapor coming out the exhaust but there was no noise of a diesel engine or soot at the end of the tailpipe. I had heard about gas being the American fuel of choice but took a few minutes to realize this first hand. Soon I got into a cab (a minivan, petrol of course) and headed to the city. On the way, while my wife was worried about our hotel accommodation and finding an apartment, I was wondering how these people can afford to drive such big cars on petrol :).

Over the next few weeks and months, as I got accustomed and got my driver's license, a couple of things became clear to me 

1. On this land, diesels are only meant for buses and large trucks. 

2. Here diesel actually costs more here than petrol (trust me, this one was not easy to digest).

I cannot express the joy I felt the day I saw a Jetta TDI parked on a street. I immediately said to myself, the owner of this car must be a very smart person :). Hey, it is immaterial that the cars I have owned in the US have been petrol/gas (this is not hypocrisy). 

A little bit of research pointed to the fact that diesels were introduced in America in the 80s. However,  poor design led not just those cars to fail but seriously damaged the reputation of diesel engines in America. Who killed the diesel car, eh?

In the seven years since, I have seen the slow but steady re-introduction of diesel models in the passenger car space. VW has done its part by bringing more refined powerplants to its mass market offerings like the Jetta, Jetta Wagon and Passat. Audi, Mercedes and BMW have also brought their diesel technologies not only in large SUVs like the Q7, GL class and X5 but also to the smaller cars like the BMW 335d (though I am sad that the 335d may get chopped in favor of a hybrid). Its all Germans now though which is understandable considering that diesels account for 50% of sales in Europe and German manufacturers are the major suppliers to US. 

I would love to see the big three and Japanese get into this market and make diesels more affordable. Toyota has a lot of diesel expertise and sells a large number of diesel SUVs and trucks across the world. Subaru is launching some fabulous diesels in Europe and so are the Koreans. Ford and GM sell some nice diesels across the pond and so does Fiat. I wish they brought them here.

Americans regularly drive longer distances than their counterparts elsewhere in the world, either to get to work or take road trips. Diesels are more efficient than gas engines, have loads of torque and compared to hybrids are a lot less complex. Only a few manufacturers have seen success with hybrids, but almost all have great diesel technology at their disposal. It only makes sense that if manufacturers start bringing their clean diesels to American shores they will see much more success as compared to hybrids.

Is America warming up to wagons?

Published Jan 30, 2011 on blogspot.com

Throughout the automobile history of almost 125 years, every major manufacturer has at some point in time produced a Station Wagon or Estate version of its most successful sedans. Some European manufacturers have launched a few models as estate only versions. Like other models, they have seen success and failures. In America however, wagons have never been able to enjoy the same success which sedans have seen.

In Europe wagons are one of the most popular body types for family or personal transportation. They offer the comfort and driving pleasure of a car and can carry enormous amount of cargo. To me, this is one of the most sensible forms of family transportation. In the world's largest automobile market however, they account for less than 1% of total sales. The reason for this was pretty clear till the economy and oil prices started hitting us hard. Cheap oil for decades and the American culture of "make e'm big" meant that if you need a car with more space, you buy a SUV. SUV's kept growing in size and soon became the strategy of the big three. How else do you explain the Explorer, Expedition, Excursion, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, Durango, Aspen etc. I recollect just a few wagons being launched in the States in the past two decades as compared to the vast numbers of models for other body types. The general population could never realize the practicality of a station wagon and the manufacturers kept flooding their minds with newer and bigger SUVs.

Since the past couple of years though, the perception of estates in states seems to be changing. The Jetta TDI wagon has gained good popularity. Though this can be attributed more towards its TDI engine (I will cover diesel cars in my next post), it has at least done the job of getting a foot in the door. The most bold attempt has come from from GM. The Cadillac CTS wagon comes across as a practical sports car with loads of luggage space. The CTS-V wagon however will satisfy the souls of a few power hungry and wallet heavy folks. I am doubtful how many would buy a wagon which has in excess of 500 horsepower and use it for trips to the grocery store but I do commend GM for taking this step nonetheless. Hyundai America seems keen to bring the Sonata Wagon (known as the i40 internationally). That along with the Elantra touring would give Hyundai a product leadership in this segment. Acura is also trying to create a space for itself in this tiny segment by bringing in the TSX Wagon. 

I am very hopeful that the public perception on estates would change soon and we will see more of such cars entering the market. I am sure I will buy one some day. As of today, my favorite is a BMW 5 series wagon or the 528i Gran Turismo.

What's up with Honda

Published Jan 05, 2011 on blogspot.com

There was a time when I was a huge fan of every vehicle Honda produced. This affection for the brand probably came from my liking of the Hero Honda 97.2 cc motorbike produced in India since the mid-1980s. I was fascinated by the sound of the 4 stroke engine as it reminded me of the Enfield Bullet (a bigger bike) with a much deeper 4 stroke note. People of my generation who grew up in India, always looked up to the Bullet as the ultimate riding machine (no offense, BMW). When I heard Hero Honda for the first time, my reaction (as would have been of every other Indian) was that "this sounds like a Bullet".

As I grew up, my affection for all things automotive and cars in particular also increased and Honda occupied a special place there. When Honda started producing cars in India, they came out with a model called the Honda City. Launched in 1.3 and 1.5L gas (petrol) engine configurations, these cars had a power output of 90 and 100 BHP respectively and were the most powerful cars available in the country at that time. These were also the most fun to drive cars. The city soon became a huge success and other manufacturers also started producing cars with similar power but were unable to match the status which the city enjoyed. I found Honda enjoying the status of fun-filled family cars during my trips to Malaysia and UK as well.

In the US, I got the chance to experience the full range of Honda offerings; some in closeup, some from a distance, some from the inside and some from the outside. Interestingly, the design of every model seems to be moving from sharp to bland to dull. Here are a few examples -

1. Accord - Has grown in size from 2004 and 2006. When I saw the 2008 model I was confused. The side profile seemed to draw cues from a Saturn L300 while the car as a whole looked uninteresting. In the mild refreshes since then, Honda has tried to give it a more aggressive stance but still in terms of looks, I would consider it near the bottom of its segment. Sales figures for the car however do indicate that customers are still loyal to the legendary Accord reliability.

2. Insight - This has been the biggest disappointment from Honda. Looks apart, the car overall seems like it has been put together in haste. I agree Honda has been desperate to get a foothold in the Hybrid segment and the failure of Accord Hybrid, low volumes of Civic Hybrid were not really helping this effort. While Toyota was flying with its Prius, Honda could not even scratch the surface. The Insight, though a product with the right intentions just does not have the matter to be even considered a competitor to the Prius. It does reaffirm the phrase though "Imitation is the best form of Flattery".

3. CRZ - A hybrid sports coupe. An interesting concept! How well is it executed though? From what I have read (haven't seen one yet), the car fails to generate the excitement a driver would expect from a sports car. Though a Hybrid, it is not known for its gas mileage and Hyundai seems to be gunning for it with its soon to be launched "Veloster". The car does have a feather in its cap though. It was awarded the Japan car of the year 2010. I doubt how much of an effect that would have on its US sales.

4. Pilot - While competitors have moved toward more curvy, stylish and crossover like offerings, the Pilot has grown to become more boxy and truck-like. I see far less new Honda pilots on road now as compared to a Traverse, CX-9, Highlander etc.

5. Element - Honda finally realized that the car was not exactly doing a good job finding a place in American family garage. The car will soon end its production run.

6. Ridgeline - Winner of the Motor Trend truck of the year 2006. It does seem though that it requires a little more of everything to be a successful truck in America. An under-bed storage is not a good enough sales proposition. Toyota did a much better job of positioning its truck offerings Tundra and Tacoma.

7. Accord Crosstour - Launched as a direct competition to the Toyota Venza, I am having a hard time figuring out areas where it fairs better.

8. Fit and CRV - These are winners and I do not want to complain about them one bit. Though I would like to mention that competition is catching up pretty quick.

9. Odyssey - The minivan king. The 2011 model can be considered as a great engineering effort. I cannot say the same about the design though. I am also surprised that Honda would offer a 5 speed transmission on the base model.

10. Civic - Finally I come to the Civic. One of my favorite cars. Though getting old, it is still a good looker. I had hoped for a new Civic for the 2011 model year but with Honda moving to a 5 year product cycle, I will be eagerly awaiting the 2012 civic. With the launch of new Elantra and Focus, the competitions seems to have an early lead in this segment.

As I have written earlier, I have always admired Honda for their products. But today, I believe it needs a fresh look at its designs. It still offers one of best powertrains in the Industry but that alone will not be enough to beat the competition.

The big three - My take on the US auto makers

Published May 22nd, 2009 on blogspot.com

I have been closely following the big three car makers for the past many years. Though I was the least surprised on Chrysler's filing bankruptcy, the somewhat contradictory positions of the bigger two leads me to believe that to undo the shortcomings of the past, just good products are not enough. A better management plays a bigger role in a company's survival and recovery.

Let me try to explain -

Chrysler - Though the former name Daimler Chrysler leads one to think that the company would have had the strongest products line in the US, it seems Chrysler hardly benefited in any model launch since the marriage. Except for the Pacifica, I find it hard to find any other model which showed traits of German Engineering. In the past few years, the only cars worth remembering from this manufacturer are the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Charger. Honestly, when I look at the older models like the 300, Concorde I wonder what happened to the design gurus at Chrysler that they started churning out Calibers and Avengers. Did Daimler Benz have a role to play here? Though the company is bankrupt today, it proposed line up of EVs, the new 300, 200 EV looks more promising than any of its models in the past decade. This again leads me to think, did the merger with Daimler actually do more harm than good to Chrysler? Agreed that the exit has not been a bed of roses for the German either but it has had a ruining effect on its partner across the pond. I just hope that with Fiat infusing some much-needed cash, the company starts chugging again and reaches the design and product leadership it was so well known for. Having recently read an article about the new leadership of Chrysler and the enthusiastic young CEOs, Chrysler seemingly is in the best position in decades to regain its lost share.

GM - GM's bankruptcy did come to me as a bit of a surprise. Of the Detroit big three, during the last 3 - 4 yrs, GM probably had the best product line. As is the case however with any large company, wrong decisions of the past couple decades would have taken more than just good products to shed the excess baggage, especially in an environment where competition is fierce and lesser popular entrants (from S. Korea) are gaining significant market share. GM's revival started with the launch of the new Malibu and its realization that to survive it needs products at the lowest end of the market as well. Though the Aveo wasn't the best execution, it was a contributor to the mind shift at GM (the company and its dealer network) that a small car is required to complete the portfolio and allow GM to at least be considered as an option for entry-level car buyers. Honestly, I fell in love with the new Camaro and was pleasantly surprised by the Cadillac CTS line. With the CTS, GM not only proved that they are capable of launching great products, but they also have a great product line up. The crossover platform was also a winner and the Buick enclave on this platform was another car I came to love. These good cars led me to believe that GM has learned from its past, the future looks better and the bankruptcy filing was a little but much-needed shock.

Ford - This is the classic example of better management and not necessarily better products coming to the rescue of a manufacturer. While Chrysler and GM took the bankruptcy route, Ford chose to chug along with its resources. Though at that time, there was not a single product which Ford could claim to be a winner in any of the segments, the management's vision, etched shortly after Allen Mulally took over the ruins, was the single reason Ford could live through this situation. I believe the most important decision at Ford was to unify the global product offerings, especially those in the European and American markets. From my personal experience, I could vouch that Ford's European offerings were much better than those in America (I took a Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec for a 700 mile trip in the UK and instantly came to love it. I cannot say the same for the Focus offered in America). With this decision, Ford had a better outlook for its products which today is well proven by its offerings in all segments - right from the Fiesta to the new Explorer. I do commend the management for taking the bold steps of shedding off the unprofitable brand names and earning much-needed cash in the process, something GM could not do partly because it had integrated its acquisitions much tightly than ford (for e.g. SaaB vs Volvo) diluting those brands in the process. Even after being in the process of an optimistic recovery, Ford did not hesitate to close down the Mercury brand realizing that the gap between Ford and Lincoln brands is not wide enough for Mercury to fit in. Today Ford seems well positioned to take back the slot it lost to Toyota a few years back and has managed to improve its processes where it now offers better quality than those of its Asian counterparts (of course, the Toyota fiasco of sticky pedals has only helped the recovery). It may take a few months/quarters/years for the Americans to embrace Ford again, but Ford seems to be moving in overdrive to claim its rightful position in the marketplace.