Honda makes a U-turn to catch US truck, SUV trend

Sales drop: Honda Motor Co vehicles sit parked in Yokohama. The automaker has forecast a 68% decline in global operating profit for the current fiscal year. — Bloomberg

DETROIT: Honda Motor Co is redesigning the looks and the marketing for its sport utility vehicles and trucks to appeal to United States consumers who are paying premiums for rival automakers’ vehicles that offer a more rugged, off-road adventure image.

Since the 1970s, Honda has been synonymous in the US with understated, well-engineered and highly efficient cars such as the Honda Civic and Accord. Honda’s SUVs, minivans and its Ridgeline pickup truck are built on the smooth-handling chassis of those sedans.