Honda Crider bridges the gap between Civic and Accord and is currently sold in China in its second generation
Based on the Concept C, Honda’s move to fulfil the gap existed between Civic and Accord was addressed by the Crider or it could influence the next-gen City bound for next year. Making global debut at the Auto Shanghai show in April in 2013,Honda Crider was developed mainly for China but it always had the looks and capability to enter into other Asian markets.
The first generation Crider was on sale for more than five years before replaced by a brand new avatar last August with styling enhancements and growth in size. The Crider is a more upmarket version of the City with bigger dimensions. The influence of the Accord in the design perspective of the Crider has been large.
Crider takes the Solid Wing Face design to the next level and the width offers plenty of sportiness to the entire styling. The prominent thick chromed out front grille connects the full LED headlamps on both sides and the bumper has a large air intake in the middle.
The fog lamps bode well with the frontal design and the bonnet has aggressive lines. The side profile of Crider with coupe roofline as well as the rear end with boomerang-styled LED tail lamps will reminisce you of the recently launched tenth generation Civic. Honda has patented the Crider in India and whether it will be launched in the near future or not is up for anybody’s discussion currently.
However, we do hope Honda will bring the Crider in the coming years as it could create a niche of its own. The Japanese manufacturer has already confirmed that the four-strong sedan lineup domestically has been complete following the launch of the sedan but the patent images do indicate a possibility.
The second-generation Honda Crider is based on the stretched platform of the popular City and it has grown 92 mm long, 54 mm wide and 4 mm tall compared to the previous model as Chinese customers do adore spacious sedans. The interior boasts an all-black theme with minimalistic use of physical buttons and there is a large floating touchscreen infotainment system sitting in the middle of the dashboard.
In China, the Crider is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine that produces 122 PS and 173 Nm and is mated to a CVT automatic transmission. It features independent MacPherson strut front and a single torsion beam rear suspension system along with disc brakes on all wheels and an electric power steering. The rebadged version of the Crider known as Envix is also sold in China by Dongfeng Honda.
With Honda turning its attention towards strengthening SUV portfolio for future growth, we are expected to see a Hyundai Creta rivalling compact premium SUV, probably the HR-V, sometime next year. Considering the immense popularity of the new Civic, Honda might ponder over launching the Crider as well. But for now, uncertainty is the only certainty!