Honda’s top U.S. executive said that the Japanese automaker may have to update its models faster because the competition is getting too tough in the mid-size sedan segment. John Mendel said that Honda will do its best to stay ahead of the pack with new models in new market segments and will updates its vehicles more frequently.
“We don’t have the gap that we had years ago,” Mendel said on at the launch of the new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour. “There’s nobody out there building junk any more.”
The Honda Accord mid-size sedan is the company’s top-selling model and is facing some serious competition from Toyota, Nissan, FoMoCo and General Motors. All of its competitors offer 4-cylinder mid-size sedans that have passed the Accord in highway fuel-economy and have received positive reviews from the media.
Mendel said that Honda may have to offer a facelift for its models every two-years and a total redesign every five-years.
The Honda Accord is scheduled for a redesign by 2013; however, Mendel says that a redesigned model with better fuel-economy and more equipment could come quicker.
- By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Drive
