The
'Car of the Year' is the big prize. Awarded to the car that has set a new
benchmark in its class by the largest margin, it is also the one all other
competitors will aim for, when they design their new cars.
Honda laid down the priorities of small car owners in order of preference, and
then built the car with amazing single-mindedness. Honda moved the fuel tank
below the front seat to make room at the rare of the car, while the very
compact 1.5-litre iDSI engine was compacted into a tiny nose. It ran a pair of
spark plugs to help improve efficiency, the tall design helped maximise
passenger space, the boot is huge, and unlike in the past, Honda didn't stint
on the interiors either.
Think for a minute what you might really need from a car — need, not
want — and the City has it. Bags of space, comfort for passengers at
the rear, fuel efficiency of course, it's easy to drive and even has a lovely
interior. And don't forget the reliability and hassle-free ownership, it's a
Honda, remember.
ICICI Overdrive SUV of the Year 2004 - Honda CR-V
The
emerging face of the Indian automobile market is best exemplified by the SUV
and even within the segment we have sub-segments with all sorts of vehicles
loosely conforming to the SUV monicker.
The award is for the rugged yet highly civilized brutes which can perform with
aplomb on the rough & loose as well as on tarmac; on the rutted trail and
expressways. Ease of control, image, performance on and off road, suitability
to varying terrain and of course space and pace were the key criteria of the
Indian SUV of the year.
It was expected to be a tough task, but we have a clear
winner in the shape of Honda CR-V, which with 110 points, clearly came tantalizing
close to taking the maximum 120 points on offer.
ICICI Overdrive Car of the Year 2004 - Honda City
The original Honda City was the Car of the Year 2001, handsomely
beating all corners to the nation's biggest award. In 2004, its replacement,
the City i-DSI has once again repeated the feat for its maker Honda Siel Cars
India Ltd.
The overall package is a paragon of great design coupled to brilliant dynamics
in which the taut structure, built-in active and passive safety features and
space to shame larger cars has been brought into the realm of C-segment. Add to
that a radical departure in getting more from less via the i-DSI top-end on its
77 bhp, 1.5-litre engine to provide the best fuel efficiency in the country by
any automobile while yet delivering performance matching best-in-class
standards.
All this marks out the City as the most worthy car to wear
the crown of the Indian Car of the Year 2004. And to place the icing on the cake,
the City has sheer quality written all through it.
Business Standard Motoring Car of the Year 2004 - Honda City
The
exclusive Business Standard Motoring rating evaluations have an inbuilt
weightage system that gives an advantage to the car which is most
fuel-efficient and the most reasonably. The other factors considered are
performance, subjective ratings and features.
It's the New Honda City, which wins despite the odds stacked against it. The
new City is brilliant to look at, a lot of thought has gone into creating it
from a clean sheet, its build quality is exemplary, and its ride quality is
mature and takes into consideration the Indian terrain. Its ergonomics are
bang-on, it offers plenty of living space inside despite being a smaller car,
and is loaded with a host of thoughtful features.
But what ultimately nudges the new Honda City to the pinnacle are its
astounding fuel-efficiency and a very approachable price tag, especially for a
premium brand like Honda.
So ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Business Standard
Motoring Car Of The Year 2004, the new Honda City! Let the celebrations begin!
Honda has always believed in meeting and surpassing people's expectations. In
its brief history, since the announcement of sales in January 1998, HSCI has
done Honda proud.
In 1998, the Honda City was ranked the Best Midsize Car in Initial Quality and the
Most Appealing Midsize Car.
Its very first product, the Honda City has anchored
a string of J. D. Power Asia Pacific Awards.
In the year 2000, the brand was awarded No.1 Nameplate
in Customer Satisfaction, as well as No.1 Nameplate in Sales Satisfaction.
In 1999, it was declared No.1 Nameplate in Customer
Satisfaction.
Honda's challenging spirit was once again evident as HSCI received the ISO -
9002 Certification in the year 2000. HSCI's emphasis on environment
friendliness, of both its manufacturing processes and its end products, have
also paid dividends. The company's aim today is to acquire the prestigious
ISO-14001 certification and thereby reaffirm Honda's commitment to preserve the
environment for future generations.
For Honda this is only the beginning. The company looks forward to newer
challenges as it continues to enhance the quality of life of the people of
India through automobiles that reflect the spirit of today.
Awards for Honda Accord
The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, USA gives star ratings for
rollover resistance as part of its New Car Assessment program. For the year
2001, a total of 201 cars from major manufacturers like Honda, Chrysler, and
Chevrolet were included; and
the only vehicle to earn a
5-Star rating was the Honda Accord.
Five stars indicate a rollover risk of less than 10 percent when involved in a
single vehicle crash. This rating once again confirms Honda's total commitment
to passenger safety, and provides ample proof for the Accord's success across
the world.
In 1999, Consumer's Digest, USA recognized the Accord, along with the Civic,
for offering "outstanding value" to the consumers.
IntelliChoice, USA named Honda Vehicles in five categories for "Best Overall
Value of the Year" awards for 1999.The awards for Accord were:
-
Accord DX/LX coupe and sedan models named "Best Midsize"
under $19,500
-
Accord EX sedan as "Best Midsize" over $19,500
Car & Driver, USA named the Accord to its "10 Best" list for the 13th time.
According to Car & Driver, the Accord merited this distinction because of
its "relentless refinement since its debut more than 20 years ago", including
drive train excellence and roomier interior design.
The Accord under consideration was the 1998 US-built 3.0 litre V-6 engine with
200 hp and "traditional Honda smoothness". It also complimented the Accord for
its supple suspension, velvety controls and exterior styling that is innocuous
but tasteful; also, the interiors were found to be stylistically and
ergonomically satisfying.
More on Honda Achievements
At Honda, we turn the dreams of tomorrow into realities.
While Honda's relationship with India began in 1984, the setting up of Honda
Siel Cars India Ltd. in December 1995 was an important 'next step.'
A logical and inevitable continuation of Honda's aim to offer Indian customers
its full range of products, thereby fulfilling its fundamental belief of
bringing joy to people all over the world.
J.
D. Power IQS
International research firm J. D. Power conducts its IQS annually in India to
measure how problem-free-cars are in their early stages of ownership.
During 2002, they asked over 31,000 car owners about the problems experienced
by them during the first three to five months of ownership across nine areas
including Ride Handling & Braking, Features & Controls, Seats, HVAC,
Sound System, Vehicle Exterior, Vehicle Interior, Transmission and Engine.
For two consecutive years, Honda City remained at the top of IQS rankings. This
is a truly remarkable achievement and for the proof, if any were needed, that
Honda quality is the best around, strong performances across most factors
helped the City lead its segment.
NFO
The NFO-Autocar four-wheeler Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) Study
is like nothing you have read before. Using sophisticated yet, when you think
about it, entirely logical methodology the study has tried to bring out how you
really feel about your cars.
Honda has blazed the satisfaction trail, with both its City and Accord models
blasting their way to the top of their segments. These results leave little
doubt that when it comes to keeping customers delighted, few have mastered the
art as well as Honda.
Winning as a habit - Idea7
The Idea7 study was named 'The Indian Customer Automobile Recommendation' (CAR)
which measured the "willingness of existing customers to recommend it to
others." Honda City emerged at the top with a score of 120.