Honda Gears up for Gen-Y.
Considering the 1000s of journalists and industry leaders who descended upon Detroit this week, one is tempted to forget that things continue to happen in other parts of the industry. Indeed, there were several other significant auto shows occurring this week, some even making a bit of news.
Like the Montreal International Auto Show, where Honda decided to pull the wraps off the new Gear show car rather than bring it to Detroit – perhaps reflecting upon the fact that the Canadian market tends to be more favorable to urban-style minicars despite downsizing trends in the U.S.
Formally known as the Honda Gear Concept Study Model, the prototype is designed to show that small cars can be more than utilitarian econoboxes. The show car may be “simple and utilitarian,” the maker says, but it is “also customizable, connected and full of personality.”
Honda suggests a sporty design and connectivity will help the Gear Concept Study appeal to Millennials.
Honda is just one of the latest makers looking to find ways to connect with the next generation of buyers, a difficult challenge considering studies show that Millennials are far less interested in owning a car or even driving than previous generations. Perhaps, Honda officials suggest, it’s because of the cars they’d most likely be able to afford.
“Subcompact cars are usually either utilitarian, but uninspiring or they’re fun, zippy cars that are impractical and too expensive for the Gen-Y buyer,” said Dave Marek, Design Director at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. “GEAR Concept tears down those walls – it’s practical but fun, customizable, connected and affordable. Everything that young, discerning urban buyers would want in a car.”
Honda doesn’t provide much more than the pictures seen here, though if recent trends are any indication – along with what we saw in Detroit with the maker’s Urban Utility Vehicle Concept – connectivity definitely will be a critical element were the maker to bring something like Gear to market.
It’s hard to find a single manufacturer that doesn’t already offer some form of infotainment system that goes beyond the usual, booming audio system to also allow a driver to sync up with a smartphone. And a growing number of brands are introducing social media capabilities, such as the ability to have text messages read out by artificial voice – or even to send a text by voice. At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, Ford announced a new app for its Sync system that will automatically let friends know where you are as you head out on the road.
But, it seems, we’ll have to wait to hear more about what Honda has in mind with Gear.
Meanwhile, we’re getting signals that other makers are also, er, gearing up Gen-Y product programs. General Motors President Mark Reuss hinted this week that the maker has a new rear-drive model in the works that could challenge the likes of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BR-Z. It just might be based on the sporty rear-drive Code 130R concept GM teased us with on the auto show circuit last year. There, it seems, we’re also going to have to wait and see.