Honda is losing mindshare and marketshare with the demographic it used to dominate: young people. That's why it desperately needs to put the Gear concept into production.
With all eyes still on the Detroit Auto Show, the debut of the Gear at the Montreal International Auto Show seemed like an odd tangent, until you look at the details.
It's a subcompact created by Honda's L.A.-based Advanced Design Studio and supposedly inspired by fixed-gear bikes. We don't see the connection either, but that's irrelevant marketing-speak, and anyway just look at it. It manages to come off as both retro and modern, without erring on the side of trite or cliched. It's just a shame Honda isn't telling us what's under the hood.
But as a compact runabout designed with Gen-Y city dwellers in mind, the Gear is fully customizable, similar to what Scion – Toyota's youth-focused division – did with its initial offerings in the States. And it's packed with connectivity options that are an absolute necessity for its target audience.
Dave Marek, Design Director at Honda R&D says it will be "affordable" to boot, and if Honda can pull off something in the same sub-$20k price range as the latest offerings from GM and Ford, while offering more style and substance in the process, Honda could have a winner – assuming the Gear even makes it to market.
All Photos: Honda
