The president and CEO of Honda Cars India, Yoichiro Ueno, had recently spoken about the launch of the new Accord, which is to take place during the festive season in India. Now, as per our sources, it is confirmed that the car will be launched on October 30.
The car, which is in its ninth generation, was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo earlier this year and we expect the new Accord to come with a price tag of Rs 20 to 25 lakh for the base model. Reportedly, some Honda dealerships in Delhi have already started taking bookings for the car for a token amount of Rs 51,000.
The Accord has, over the years, enjoyed a sort of a cult status in India but the previous generation of the car was a bit of a let-down. It was taken off the assembly lines in 2014 before making its next appearance at the expo in Delhi in February.
In all likeliness, the new Accord will arrive on Indian shores in its hybrid avatar. A 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol unit, which pumps out 140PS of power, will be the fossil share on the powertrain while a 1.3kW Lithium ion battery will supply an additional 75 horses.
Power will be transmitted by a CVT but a manual can’t be ruled out either. The car will come with a total of three driving modes – EV or pure electric mode, Hybrid Drive or Engine Drive mode. In pure electric or EV mode, the Accord Hybrid can attain a top speed of 120kmph.
On the default Hybrid Drive, Honda claims an efficiency of 23.8kmpl while the ARAI figure remains to be seen. Moreover, a diesel engine option looks highly unlikely under the hood of the next-gen Accord.
When launched in India, it will be pitted against the likes of the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Skoda Superb, and the upcoming Volkswagen Passat GTE.
Source: Zigwheels.com
