Honda Civic production to end for Japanese market

Article
Gallery

By Tim Beissmann | November 22nd, 2010

Honda Motor Co in Japan has confirmed it will end production of the Honda Civic for its domestic market before the end of the year.

Japan’s third-largest vehicle manufacturer says a lack of demand for sedans in the local market is the main reason for the decision to phase out the Civic, which was first introduced close to 40 years ago.

Honda stopped domestic production of the petrol-powered Civic in August, and the end of Civic Hybrid production in December will bring to a close – at least for now – the Civic’s unbroken 38-year lifespan in Japan.

Honda has confirmed it will continue to export the Civic Hybrid from its Suzuka plant.

Global Civic availability will not be affected by the decision, as the otherwise popular vehicle is built at 13 other factories around the world for 160 different markets.

Across all markets, Honda sold 609,000 Civics in 2009, with just 9000 of those registered in Japan.

Just 182 Civics and 270 Civic Hybrids were sold in Japan in October.

The Civic’s popularity in its domestic market peaked in 1975, when 177,000 vehicles were delivered, but the introduction of newer, smaller models like the Fit (Jazz in Australia) and the Insight hybrid have gradually led to its demise.

In total, more than three million Civics were sold in Japan between 1972 and 2010.

vti07

Honda used be an innovative car company in the early days, now also rans. Looks like they were complacent and underestimated the rise of the Koreans.

Duckula

Not really… they have just changed tastes, much like Australians not liking family wagons anymore… nothing to do with innovation. Markets change and evolve.
Jabba the Hutt

I agree with cti07. They were once at the forefront of design but their product range is now viewed in a similar light to toyota’s. The civic typifies their willingness to sell mediocrity and play it safe.

Yes, the market has changed but Honda sell cars in most segments with not a wagon to be seen so it is not simply a change in buyer habits. I wonder how many corollas sold in Japan last year?

gearboxdawg

Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) have more variety of cars from Honda and other manufacturers. Civic is just one compact sedan out of many. Sad to see it not doing well in Japan domestically but they got many more varieties and categories of cars we will ever see it here.

Duckula

Yeah its fun to just wander around Tokyo and see the vast amount of models that we never get to see, and the even cooler names they have. Altough my fave roadside site is around Tokyo city, when they are doing roadworks, the Black/yellow stripped barriers, that over here are held up on metal A-frames, are made from bright pink or orange plastic in the shape of teddy bears holding their arms up in the air to support the Barrier… heaps funny.

Reckless1

Heaps funny all right – the Teddy Bear is such a Japanese icon…..not

Honda CR-Z Fan

I think Honda’s massive fault with the current Civic was that they only made it as a Sedan.

They left the Hatch only for Europe for a very very long time and only just recently started importing to Australia and other markets.

What is also not good for Honda is that they are very overpriced in Australia. I am not sure about Japan, but if it is anything like Japan, that will also put the final nail in the coffin.

Bring back the Civic Hatch to the rest of the world and dont be so stupid to only make it in the UK…
Hung Low

A modern incarnation of the Retro 1976 Civic, with the Type R drive-line would be nice Mr Honda!
Anthony

This is quite sad,as the Civic is a good looking compact sedan.
It would be like no more Golfs in Germany,or no more Corollas in Japan…

Toyota must be thrilled,as would Mazda be…

Samr

The Jazz could be regarded a a Civic except it is MUCH larger than the original Civic.

All car makers go through this stupid process where each generation gets bigger. The current Civic would be almost as big as an 80′s Commodore.

Tim Johnston

Beat me to it!

Jabba the Hutt

Yes it is a big part of it and proof of that is the sales of Jazz in one month (April 09′) virtually outsold the civic’s yearly total. (Honda Fit/Jazz 9,443).

However it isn’t that simple as to suggest that the market has simply changed away from these sized vehicles. The Coralla was 4th that month with 6,500 sales so sold nearly 8 times as many as the civic for the ’09 year. Proof that the car itself is the issue. Not its size. For the record japan’s single biggest selling car in April ’09 was the Honda Insight with over 10,000 sales.

PaulS

I think Corolla is mainly a hatchback in Japanese market… and the point is that it’s available in both Sedan and Hatch over there… Which makes sense as the Yaris is too small for cargo space.

Everyone is going for the hatches for small – medium cars these days.

Shak

I think we sell more Civic Sedans in oz than they do in japan. Wow, it sad to see that such an iconic and popular nameplate can be shunned like this in its home market.
K

Well the next gen Civic hybrid is only a few months away, with a newer system – most civic sedans sold are hybrids in Japan.
So I suppose its only about the current generation going out of production.
ABMPSV

Top 10 selling car in Japan in 2009

Car Make & Model … Number of Cars Sold in Japan in 2009
1 Toyota Prius … 208,876
2 Honda Fit (Jazz) … 157,324
3 Toyota Vitz (Yaris) … 117,655
4 Toyota Passo … 98,883
5 Honda Insight … 93,283
6 Toyota Corolla … 90,178
7 Honda Freed … 79,525
8 Nissan Serena … 78,836
9 Toyota Voxy … 71,426
10 Nissan Note … 65,745
Robert N.

HONDA has nothing new to offer to the market anymore!!!