Honda's Ugly Duckling Styling Elements

"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve) 09/20/2016 at 12:32 • Filed to: honda, Design Details, Car Design, Car and Driver

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I’ve noticed something. Honda can get away with re-packaging styling elements that were considered ugly, or boring, but end up being called attractive. While I researched this little blurb, Car and Driver kept coming up. They seemed to keep pace with the styling tastes of autojournos who hated one, but loved the other.

I present two cases:

First, the nose of the 2012 Civic:

The best any automotive press could come up with for the styling was “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ”(Car and Driver, May 2011) and many saw it as a boring also-ran that was selling more on its nameplate than its virtues.

But in 2016 when a very similar style was applied to the refreshed CR-chassis Accord:

The same publication touted that it “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” than the 13-15 Accord that preceded it. Perhaps the grille treatment looks more fitting with the lines of the Accord, but it’s still a similar design element.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The same goes for the rear of the Crosstour:

From their !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! :

...the exterior shape that allows the extra room is difficult to swallow. The styling is bulbous and frumpy and makes the Crosstour look like a supersized Insight hybrid on stilts .

But when looking at the newest !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , they say this:

We think the two-door coupe is even better-looking, and—if you’re sensing a trend here—the hatch improves both cars’ styling. It may not be much of a surprise given how closely it resembles !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but the Civic hatch is quite attractiv e.

When it’s got a bulbous ass just like the Crosstour before it:

What gives?

jimz > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 09/20/2016 at 12:40

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the shape of the crosstour’s D-pillar and how it flows into the hatch/quarter panel makes it look like a big ol’ butt.

the Civic has a less rounded profile back there and the angular shapes help break it up some.

bob and john > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 09/20/2016 at 12:40

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how much honda was paying them VS now.

Shift24 > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 09/20/2016 at 13:08

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Coupe vs Crossover for the civic vs CT. The Crosstour was kind of an afterthought crossover and allowed Honda to offer an Accord with AWD. (why they havent offered it on the regular one yet is still a mystery since the TL and TLX do). It looks like an accord wagon than wanted to be an SUV. And for the civic its what the trend for Coupes is doing. Coupes trunks are getting smaller and smaller as the window glass reaches further and further back

And with the 2012 civic, it was more just about bashing that year. Honda admittedly went cheap to see if anyone would notice and just about everyone called them on it. The newer accords do have some of the flair but it protrudes more and gives it depth than just sitting in the grill and I think makes look aggressive (for a mid size) while having class. It also breaks up the grill better and isnt just a massive intake like its competition the Camry.

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 09/20/2016 at 13:49

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Honda has not had a visually compelling car since I was in college and that was the late 80's early 90's.

Buy a Honda for many things but not exterior styling.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 09/20/2016 at 14:36

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Consistency is overrated.

LongbowMkII > Shift24 09/20/2016 at 14:37

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A fully kitted accord with AWD would destroy the tl and tlx