The first Honda Ascot was borne out Honda's strategy to diversify its sales channels in Japan. In 1985, two separate dealer networks were established, under the names of "Honda Clio" and "Honda Primo", in addition to the already existing "Honda Verno" network. While the "Primo" stores handled "kei cars", as well as the Honda Civic, the "Clio" stores focused on larger models, including the top-of-the-line Honda Legend. With the arrival of the fourth-generation Honda Accord (CB) its sales were assigned solely to "Honda Clio".