Interesting things are happening in India when it comes to sedans. This October 25 Honda will launch its premium sedan vehicle named Accord. This will actually be a comeback into the Indian market for this model. It will also be available as a hybrid, and this brings new cards to the table in this category. So far, Toyota Camry Hybrid was the leader in this segment, but now there will be another competitor.
The company’s department for India – Honda Cars India recently made Accord Hybrid open for booking in its dealerships across the whole country. As already written, this is not the first time for Honda to offer Accord in India. This model was available in 2008, but it didn’t go well. The car was expensive for the population and just after five years, Honda had to pull back from the market. Not only the price was the reason. This category was not that interesting to customers in India. The result was that only one car was being bought and it was its rival, Toyota Camry. Now, more manufacturers are finding their interest in the sedan category in India. Skoda is trying to find buyers with Superb, Volkswagen and Hyundai are coming with their offerings.
After the launch date – October 25, 2016, Honda Accord Hybrid will be the only hybrid in India made by this Japanese manufacturer. It will come sporting a lean stance, complemented by the chrome-laced grille. The bumpers will be re-designed, the headlights will have that modern, aggressive look. Inside, there will be a 7” touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera, six airbags and Apple CarPlay support.
The car will be powered by a 2.0-litre iVTEC engine along with twin electric motors, which will be linked to an E-CVT unit and a 1.3 kW lithium ion battery. The regular, Honda Accord with petrol engine offers 141 bhp, on the other hand, the Honda Accord Hybrid will have combined power output of 196 bhp and a maximum torque of over 300 Nm. As for Honda, they will also offer the petrol version of Accord in India. Let’s hope that both Accords meet the customers’ expectations!
