Civic's interior no longer inferior
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Honda went all out to make amends after critics panned the garish interior of the redesigned 2012 Civic. Instead of waiting three years for the midcycle freshening, wholesale changes were made in just 19 months.
Critics said the 2012 interior looked designed by Playskool. Executives blamed the collision of angles, mismatched colors and low-grade plastics on recession-era cost-cutting.
But on the 2013 Civic that debuted last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the lines of the instrument panel sweep and feed cleanly into the center console. The surfaces use softer-touch materials and have better graining. The interior looks and feels more refined.
On top of this, the Civic lineup now features standard Bluetooth, Pandora Internet Radio, SMS text messaging and a rear backup camera, which previously were options. Despite the added content, Honda bumped the Civic's starting price by just $160.
Critics aside, Honda has been selling about 25,000 Civics a month -- tops in the compact segment -- even with the hideous interior. So with the new innards, the competition should be afraid -- very, very afraid.
