There would be numerous new car models to be released next year especially for Honda and Toyota fans. The year 2012 would be an exciting year for car buyers looking to show off their new automobile. Heck, in fact, as we speak, there would be new model coming earlier than 2012 – Honda is set to launch its new CR-Z early Nov this year, that’s next month dude. And there would be new 2012 Honda Civic, new 2012 Honda CRV and new 2012 Toyota Camry. There would be also new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle and whatnot.
While there’re plenty of choices, you may be disappointed to note that the new models could turn you off especially on the Japanese cars. Somehow it seems the Japanese automakers are still fast asleep, not moving forward and still celebrating from their past success. It may not be a harsh word to say Honda and Toyota become arrogant of their past success, the same way Sony was with their past Walkman. Suddenly they do not know how to innovate. Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android dominate the smartphone market where Sony used to dominate the gadget market many moons ago.
Now, I’ve wrote about the yucky new design of the supposedly 2012 new Honda Civic. It was a lazy cut and copy work and I think nobody would complain if the whole design team was to be fired. In fact, the 2012 Honda Civic was so lowly rated that Honda scrambled its team to redesign the 2012 Civic for a revision release to 2013, originally planned 2014. So it would be a disastrous for Honda to release the supposedly release of 2012 Honda Civic but if they continue nevertheless, you should hold on and wait for the next “facelift” planned in 2013. Consumer Reports specifically called the 2012 Honda Civic a choppy ride, excessive road noise and plastic interior so unless you’re willing to throw over RM100,000 into the drain, you’re welcome to get the car.
If you’re somehow a Honda diehard fan and sweared to get one no matter what, then maybe you can consider the 2012 Honda CRV. It’s slightly better than Civic as far as criticism bombardment is concerned. Honda’s website has released some teasers over the new CRV. Still many are unhappy with the new CRV simply because it couldn’t generate the “Wow” factor, after so many years since its first generation. The CRV’s overall appearance is more aggressive as compared with the disastrous Civic. The new CRV’s interior seems to be imported from the new Civic, so more copy and paste works, it seems. Honda, however, claimed that the new CR-V will feature an all-new, more spacious interior with a lower floor for improved load-carrying ability.
Automotive News reports that CRV’s base models will have a 2.4-liter inline-four-cylinder engine making 175 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque, while higher-trim models will get a new 2.5-liter L-4 with 201 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission is expected to replace the current five-speed in the fourth-generation compact SUV, but there’s no confirmation yet. And one can be forgiven for claiming Honda actually copied from Volvo XC60 specifically on the tail-lamp.
If you plan to change platform from Honda to Toyota and hope for a better Camry, the 2012 new Camry is definitely a disappointment. The new generation of Toyota Camry could make you puke again, looking at how the copy and paste work is repeated again on this supposedly (kinda) luxury model from Toyota. While the new Camry spots many design imitations, it’s an awesome car for many “Uncles”, in referring to car of choice for many middle-aged men in Malaysia. Youngsters may prefer the current model than the new model. The front-lamp was copied from Kia Forte, awkward rear-seat, doesn’t looks like a generation better, looks more like Altis-facelift, simple yet cheap interior, loss of luxury feel, a PS-2 controller attached to steering and whatnot. The tail-lamp even looks like two pacman gobbling up the number plat.
The 2012 Camry was so badly designed that it makes Korean cars look so luxury, and cheap. Fortunately, Japanese cars command higher resale value in certain countries such as Malaysia otherwise European automakers would have eaten up the automobile share market, not that they haven’t now. But then beauty is in the eye of the beholder so both Honda and Toyota probably could meet their sales target, hopefully. But the fact remains that both Honda and Toyota are slowly catching up with Proton, in the copy and paste workmanship.
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