LexFather

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/...ation

Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., encouraged by U.S. demand for Fit subcompacts, is reviewing its Japanese lineup for other possible imports as near-record fuel prices spark interest in cars once viewed as too small or quirky.

``There are a couple of things that we are looking at again, whether they make sense right now,'' Dan Bonawitz, Honda's U.S. vice president for corporate planning, said in an interview yesterday, without naming specific models.

The U.S. introduction of the Fit in 2006, five years after its Japan debut, is helping Honda post gains in 2008 even as a slowing economy and gasoline that topped $4 a gallon erode industrywide demand. U.S. sales of the hatchback, rated at 30 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, jumped 73 percent through last month.

Those gains contributed to making Honda the only major automaker to expand U.S. sales this year. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are now also considering bringing in small cars designed for overseas markets.

Honda has studied the compact Stream wagon and a Japanese version of the Odyssey minivan that would be categorized as a station wagon in the U.S., Bonawitz said in an interview in Malibu, California. He declined to say whether either would be added to Honda's U.S. lineup.

The automaker is also benefiting from demand for fuel- efficient Civic small cars and four-cylinder Accords. Honda's U.S. sales have grown 3.2 percent this year, compared with an 11 percent industrywide decline through the first seven months.

The company won't rush any Japan market models to the U.S. until it's confident current U.S. patterns are likely to continue, said Bonawitz, who manages a team of U.S. product planners.

``We've got a fairly long-term product plan laid out and we're going to try to stick with that,'' Bonawitz said.

The company's U.S. headquarters are in Torrance, California.

ffpowerLN

iTrader: (1)

That is one good looking minivan/hatch-back/cross-over or whatever you call it now-a-day...

Venza fighter?

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

Bring the JDM Odyssey!! It will sell!

vboy418

Looks pretty sweet!

tfz_hebe89

iTrader: (1)

not exactly venza fighter..but toyota Wish fighter!

-J-P-L-

Product planning executives never seem to know what Americans want. Why Honda waited 5 years to bring the Fit over is beyond me. It would have sold when gas was below $3. Honda always sold small cars successfully in the US. Previous Civics were as small (and much smaller inside) that the Fit.

Small cars isn't a totally new desire for Americans. Even with cheaper gas, there has always been a market.

What really gets me, is that US companies STILL do not make a small car. Don't say Aveo (it's less American than half of Toyota and Honda's lineups which are built in the US). Ford's smallest car is the Focus and it's almost in midsize territory. Chrysler's smallest vehicle is the Caliber. Another vehicle that isn't far from being a midsize.

And yet just about every dealer lot in the country is sold out of small cars and are buried with trucks and SUV's that are now having to be given away at losses.

These executives are making millions????

TwiBlueG35

Get rid of the ugly Element, and bring over the Stream, Stepwagon, JDM Odyssey and give it another name, and JDM Civic TYPE R.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I too get annoyed by this. Every year car manufacturers just HAVE to add on inches here and there. They advertise that their vehicle 'is now 3" longer and 1" wider'. Why do that? If I wanted a bigger car, I'll buy next big car they offer! A Toyota Rav4 in 2008 is insanely huge compared to a 1998 Rav4! Quit making the exterior larger...rather, make the interior more efficient to improve itself.

Kaydee

are those lighted cupholders? cause that would have been cool

nthach

That Stream looks sweet. Honda would be dumb not to bring it over. The JDM Type R could also nicely round off the Civic lineup, but I think a diesel one will have more impact.

f=ma

meh after driving for a while, you should have where your cups are memorized.

GFerg

My goodness...Honda still makes something that looks half way decent?! This would be a great addition to their lineup in the US.

As far as the Civic R, isn't that what the 30k Mugen model is for?

IS350jet

There are no manufacturers that can react to market changes that fast. These cars that you see on dealer lots today were designed and engineered when gas was 2.89 a gallon, when the market was good, even for SUV's. If manufacturers could change their lineup overnight to reflect market conditions, they would, but they can't. So, they do the only thing they can do, which is market what they have right now and be creative with it. They also need to market themselves in a way that lets the public know that they are true innovators in fuel mileage driven technology.

wmb0000

I like it

-J-P-L-

True, but my criticism particularly on American automakers is that they didn't and still don't have the proper range of vehicles (barely any small, fuel efficient cars to choose from) even if gas stayed south of $3. When gas was 95 cents a gallon back in the mid to late '90s, Toyota and Honda still sold tons of Corolla's and Civic's (which were even smaller back then). As gas went higher, vehicles got bigger.