The narrative late, that cars are soon to be a thing of the past, got me thinking of that famously misquoted line from Mark Twain: "The report of my death was an exaggeration."
It's true, a number of automakers have announced plans to cease or curtail sales of passenger cars. Moreover, Honda set a fourth straight year of record light truck sales in 2018, with trucks now accounting for the majority of our sales.
But cars still matter – in a major way. The majority (55%) of first-time new vehicle buyers purchase a passenger car and that advantage is even higher (70%) for Gen Z buyers. That's why we're happy to proclaim that Honda has started 2019 right where we ended last year – as the #1 retail passenger car brand in America. The Honda Civic is the #2 nameplate, car or SUV, right behind our own CR-V (big pickups excluded). In fact, Civic beats all comers in popularity with all important Millennial, Gen Z and multicultural buyers. And Accord is the retail #1 midsize sedan.
So, while others may sound retreat, we remain very much committed to passenger cars as an indispensable part of our past, present and future. Cars do matter!
Henio Arcangeli, Jr.
Senior Vice President, Automobile Division
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
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