Honda shows off dramatic new Civic coupe at New York show

After the last Civic roll-out in 2011, critics said Honda cut costs to take profits at the wrong time — just as Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai and others were coming out with improved compacts.

Absolutely true. The bean counters in Tokyo did not have any read on the U.S. market, and they paid the price. Sure, they held market share, but had to discount cars greatly to do so, so the expected higher profits never came to pass.

Honda says the new car was redesigned top to bottom, with U.S. engineers and designers taking the lead.

Sounds like they got the message. Millennials in the U.S. do not want to drive the same boring car a 40 year-old salaryman in Japan does.