New Honda Accord launch confirmed for 2016.

By -
Japanese carmaker Honda has said that it is planning to get the new version of its Accord premium luxury sedan to India in 2016. In addition, a hybrid version of the sedan might make its way here after the launch of the 2.4-litre petrol.

“Yes, we are getting the Accord to India. And we are thinking of getting the hybrid Accord as well”, said Katsushi Inoue, who took charge as the President and CEO of Honda Cars India recently.

Honda phased out its flagship Accord from India in December 2013 due to weak demand in the shrinking segment. Another reason for pulling the plug on the Accord was that the carmaker wanted to focus on small models such as the Brio hatchback, Amaze compact sedan, City midsize sedan and Mobilio MPV that would rake in higher volumes. As a result, India was never introduced to the ninth-generation Accord that was launched worldwide in 2013.

But with the Jazz arriving this July and completing Honda’s mass-volume portfolio, the Japanese carmaker can concentrate on bringing its big luxury offering - which is important from a brand and image perspective - back. It is likely that Honda will launch the facelifted version of the new Accord in India, since it is due for its global mid-life update next year.

The Honda Accord will come at a time when the all-new Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat are expected to be launched. How Honda prices the Accord is yet to be seen, but if it does so competitively, the car has enough brand value to be at the top of its segment. Traditionally, the Accord has remained cheaper than its direct rival, the Toyota Camry, that is currently on sale for Rs 28.80 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Meanwhile, the Toyota Camry Hybrid has been in India since 2013 and was relaunched this May in a refreshed avatar. It received a better response than the other hybrids in India and has so far accounted for more than 70 percent of the total Camry sales. Not surprisingly, Honda is also planning to roll out the hybrid version of the Accord a few months after the conventional Accord's launch, and this could be one way to compete with its diesel rivals, the Superb and Passat.  

What is interesting is that Hyundai discontinued the first-generation Sonata after a decade-long run in February this year and exited the segment, making a wee bit more space for Honda. But now with traditional luxury carmakers like BMW, Audi and Mercedes pricing their models closer to the Accord, the segment is more crowded than ever. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All new Ambassador makeover by Hindustan Motors in 2012 .

By -
Image
Sixty years back, the word ‘car’ in India literally meant the Ambassador for most Indians. A lot has changed since then, with horde of automobile manufacturers active in the Indian market, sales figures for Hindustan Motors have hit an all time low 5,510 units in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. Over the years, it has been the Indian political class that has been keeping Hindustan Motors rolling. The latest blow to Hindustan motors came from the Govt. of India itself, which replaced the Ambassador with cars like the  Maruti SX4  and the  Tata Indigo CS considering safety and performance issues. The next-gen Ambassador will feature structural, aerodynamic and aesthetical chages. Changes on board the 2012 Ambassador include new engine calibrations, an anti-lock brake system and aluminium alloy wheels. For comfort, there will be new leather seats coupled with wood grain interiors. For the first time, there will also be an integrated music system and redesigne...
Read more

Force One to get 4x4 in mid-2012

By -
Image
Force Motors, which launched its first SUV, Force One, last August will launch a new 4x4 version and a variant equipped with ABS by mid-2012. The new 4X4 was displayed at the Auto Expo last month. At the launch, the company had indicated its intentions to offer more features in the SUV at a later stage. These features have made it to the SUV, but the company has been tight-lipped about launch date  and price tag. The 4x4 variant will continue to be powered by the FM-Tech 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel motor that develops 139bhp and 32.6kgm of torque. It will be offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as is the case with the 4x2 version. There will be no visual changes to  differentiate the 4x4 from its 4x2 sibling, except for  the badge. We expect the ABS-equipped 4x4 version to  cost at least Rs 1 lakh more than the 4x2 variant, which costs Rs 10.65 lakh (ex-showroom,  Delhi). 
Read more

Maruti 800 replacement coming soon.

By -
Image
Authentic Cars  broke the news on the upcoming Maruti 800 way back in July last year   and now we bring you more info on the car that will finally replace the venerable Maruti 800.  This new car, to be called the Alto 800 (codename: YE3), is based on the Alto, but with significant modifications done to make it cheaper. Not to be confused with the Alto sold in Japan, the new Alto 800 is based on the current generation Alto (YG4) but with a new body and interior. As seen in the pictures, the design is rather basic but there is more than a passing resemblance to the Japanese Alto, especially from the front. The nose gets high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. The styling is in line with the current-generation Suzukis, and details like the slanting window-line point to an aggressive tip-forward stance. Also, there is a prominent character-line that runs on the sides, right from the head...
Read more