Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Honda's U.S. operations to take lead on more vehicle design

Honda has been dinged by the media – us included – for recent lackluster designs, most notably the 2012 Civic. While the company has mostly adhered to its public position that everything is fine, clearly there are some changes being wrought behind the scenes at the Japanese automaker. For one, Honda's North American product development team is going to be taking over the next-generation Civic, according to Automotive News.

Honda will also be developing the Acura NSX here, according to remarks made by Erik Berkman, the company's new president of Honda R&D Americas, speaking at the annual Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars. Berkman has been in charge of Honda's Ohio-based research and development center since April. The organization has some 2,000 employees, a number which is likely to grow in the next few years, according to the report.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/09/h...ehicle-design/

doublehh03

With the nice design of the new Accord, let's see if Honda can continue the momentum with thew Fit and Pilot next year. Word is the refreshed Civic will be revealed soon, and some Honda insiders are raving about it.

And Acura finally has a hit with the RDX (ILX such a shame). Let's see the now RLX and NSX coming in the next few years.

Fizzboy7

Honda/Acura has so much ground to make up I honestly don't know if it's even possible at this point. Nearly every model that was once a hot commodity and the envy of the neighborhood is now spinning in a black hole or dying on the vine. If they ever somehow pull off a turnaround, it will take a good dozen to twenty years. And we'll never hear the admission their designers are to blame. The arrogance and oblivion Honda lives in is a good business lecture example for college classes.

spwolf

raving about "refreshed" Civic? It will get softer plastics pieces and a little bit more noise isolation, what are they raving about?

LexFather

They produce and sell more cars here than anywhere else. Acura's will nearly be all designed and produced here. This is not surprising since they are pretty much American. Their small cars are Japanese but are not profitable here according to them.

Makes sense for them to continue to move things here then.

Forgive him, he's a Honda fan which means he wears two eye-patches but is really good at feeling "soft touch plastics"

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

please refrain from further personal jabs.

kyo7878

Hopefully they are not making the team who designed crosstour or ZDX in charge.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

it's definitely possible, and i don't actually think they have a lot of ground to 'make up'. they still sell a ton of vehicles and still have a hugely loyal customer base. of course they could continue to go down hill too, but hopefully they'll bounce back.

i disagree. toyota's product line was totally in the dumper a couple of years ago, but a new camry, new avalon, new fr-s, broadened prius line, and things are looking way up.

of course neither you nor and only very few know what's really going on inside the company. a couple of things not to be ignored are the terrible natural disaster they've gone through that hit them probably harder than any other auto co., and the yen/dollar exchange rate, which may have made the bean counters too powerful in their company, instead of really digging deep to create a new strategy. cutting costs alone is rarely a good move.

LexFather

Not a personal jab, its a joke with truth to it. . It is of many people's opinion that Honda/Acura leaves A LOT to be desired in the looks department, hence the ARTICLE in question. A personal jab would be "he's just a dumb fanboi blind as a bat with nothing resembling good taste".

They vast majority are ugly, many very ugly and this is an opinion shared by experts looking at reviews in commentary for years now as well as most posters around (see kyo7878's comment below).
Again this is the first sentence in the article.

Which backs up that they have serious issues in the design area.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

1sicklex, please exit this thread. If a moderator asks you to stop making personal comments about a another member (which they absolutely were) you don't come back and argue with him in the thread plus add more sideways insults towards the other member.

Folks, back on the topic of the vehicle or the article and not comments about the other members posting in this thread.

DrUnBiased

The new Accord should do well for the brand. It's got all the right features and it looks more upscale than the class it is competing in. Just cross your fingers the interior quality doesn't drop.

wmb0000

In my opinion, ILX is a shame because of it's weak engine. Overall the build of the car, the look is great. I really like it's look. I wouldn't buy it due to it's power train being so weak. If it has the RDX old turbo engine, it will do fine.

doublehh03

+1. Acura really needs to go back to the drawing boards with that ILX's powertrain. The look and interior are fine, but the powertrains aren't worth the price that it's asking. Such a dumb car in my opinion b/c of that.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Dumbest decision on the ILX was making the 2.4L manual only.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

My next door neighbor just purchased an ILX, god I am not impressed with the car at all.

I wish they redo the whole design cross the board, Honda and Acura, they can't just depends on built quality along anymore in today's competitive market.