Car Features - Si Clio, Primo, at Verno

Pardon the title, you might think that Clio, Primo, and Verno are names of people, members of a band, or drug syndicates. No, these are the names of Honda's dealership networks in Japan in which various vehicles are sold there.

According to everyone's best friend on the web named Wikipedia, Honda chose to diversify its dealership networks by first launching the Verno in 1978. Due to some competition from Nissan and Toyota, they had added the Clio and Primo in the 80s. However, the dealership channels were merged to one in 2006.

Six years later, this similar concept was revived with the launch of the Honda Cars Small Store that sold compacts and kei cars.

So, lets go to each detail one by one.

Honda Clio

Honda Clio dealership logo from a Honda Accord advertisement

First established in 1984, the Clio chain of dealerships sold products that were usually associated with Honda prior to 1978. They feature premium sedans which are luxurious in feeling, minivans, MPVs, wagons, and some high content (read: luxury loaded) kei cars and subcompacts.

Cars sold at Honda Clio: Accord and Accord Tourer, Avancier, City, Concerto, Domani (basically an upscale Civic sedan), Elyson, Fit, Insight, Inspire (derived from the Accord), Lagreat (a North American Odyssey for the Japanese market), Legend, Logo, Mobilio (also sold at Primo dealerships), Odyssey (international version), S-MX, Stepwgn, Stream, and That's (basically a Honda Life sold at Clio and Verno dealers)

Honda Primo

Honda Primo dealership logo from a Honda Civic advertisement

The Primo chain of dealers was created in 1985 and sold kei cars, subcompacts, the Honda Civic, and other products that don't involve four wheels like farm equipment, lawn mowers, portable generators, marine equipment, motorcycles, and scooters.

Cars sold at Honda Primo: Acty, Ascot, Ascot Innova (hardtop version of the regular Ascot), Beat, Capa (also sold at Verno delaerships), Civic, Civic Ferio, and Civic Shuttle (the Ferio is basically a Civic sedan sold from 1991-2005 while the Shuttle is the station wagon model of the EF Civic including a wittingly named "Beagle" variant), Freed, Hobio (a twin of the Vamos microvan, based from the Acty), Life, Mobilio (also sold at Clio dealerships), Orthia (and its commercial use counterpart Partner), Today, Torneo (also sold at Verno dealerships), Vamos, and Z

Honda Verno

Honda Verno dealership logo from a Honda Saber advertisement

First introduced in 1978, the Verno chain of dealers sold Hondas which had more equipment and sporty in feeling. The launch of the dealer network was in coincidence with the launch of the Honda Prelude. Other than cars which are sporty in feeling, it sold high performance cars and SUVs.

Cars sold at Honda Verno: Ballade (a second generation Civic with more equipment), Capa (also sold at Primo dealerships), CR-V, CR-X, Crossroad (a rebadged first generation Land Rover Discovery), Element, HR-V, Integra, MDX (an Acura in other countries), Mobilio Spike, NSX, Prelude, Quint (a five door liftback of the Civic), Rafaga, S2000, Saber (a more equipment loaded Honda Inspire, sold as the Acura TL in the US), That's (also sold at Clio dealerships), Torneo (also sold at Primo dealerships), and Vigor

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- Friday, May 02, 2014