Honda Motors’ much anticipated 2016 Honda Civic launch has created a flutter among car enthusiasts as they voice the feature wish-list for one of their favorite automobiles.
The Honda Civic is considered as the BMW 3 Series in the world of economy cars till 2012 when the reputation of this vehicle took a serious hit.
Till 2012, the Honda Civic stood like the Rock of Gibraltar when it came to fuel efficiency, reliability and comfort. In the 1990s, the Honda Civic boasted of double-wishbone suspension which was considered at that time a prerogative of hardcore sports car only. Excellent mechanics and smoothly revving engines were the hallmarks of this little economy car brand.
However, in 2012, the Civic that was launched featured an outdated cabin, delivered a noisy and rough ride and seemed to have lost the sheen that its earlier generations boasted of. While this difficult market phase for Honda gave an opportunity for its engineers and designers to rethink their strategies, the competitors like Fiat, Ford, Kia and Hyundai had enough time to catch up and beat the standards set by the Civic.
Now, with the 2016 model waiting to be unleashed on to the market, car enthusiasts talk of a feature wish list that could bring this much-loved brand back to where it belongs.
Joy of Driving: Experts want a nimble Civic on the road which can deliver smooth and joyful driving experience.
Improved Fuel Efficiency: The mainstay of Civic popularity was in its economy, both in terms of cost of purchase and fuel efficiency. Fans are expected a fuel mileage of over 40 mpg from the 2016 model.
Light and Airy Cabin: Fans of the 2016 Honda Civic are hoping that the model will not feature any of the ‘glassy’ interiors of the earlier version. They are expecting a light and airy cabin that is user-friendly and inviting.
Better-Performance Engine: The Company has promised a 1.5-liter engine with turbo-charging which will deliver an excellent driving performance and car experts are hoping to see this in the new version.
Improved Dashboard: Experts are looking forward to a better looking dashboard than the current rather tacky version. The improved dashboard should have a larger infotainment system where the buttons will be bigger and hence easier to operate.
High-quality Materials: People are hoping that Honda will not repeat the ‘flimsy’ look of the 2012 model. While luxury materials like chrome and mahogany are not really necessary, they are expecting high-quality plastics and soft-touch surfaces.
Economical Price: Car experts want added features at a rate that is economical and not at the rate of its own higher-end Accord. They are hoping that the prices do not cross $30K mark.
Sporty Performance: To catch the young buyers, Honda would need to employ a turbo-charged Type-R for an output of over 250 horsepower.
Auto-transmission: While Honda has been known to stick to manual transmission, experts are of the opinion that adding a semi-automatic could potentially enhance sales as auto-transmission is more popular today than the manual gearshift system.
Attractive profile: Car enthusiasts are hoping for a daring exterior design that the Japanese car maker employs for the European and home markets. An attractive and daring profile is capable of making the 2016 Honda Civic stand out amidst the crowd.
