Honda Accord Hybrid India launch confirmed by 2016-end

Honda Car India (HCI) will launch the Accord Hybrid sedan by the end of 2016. HCI President and CEO Yoichiro Ueno confirmed the arrival while opening the 300th Honda dealership in India on Monday. He was in Kochi for the inauguration of Perfect Honda dealership.

The announcement does not come as a surprise since the Accord Hybrid was snapped during testing in June. Honda had also showcased a regular version of the new Accord at Auto Expo 2016, hinting a re-launch of the premium sedan in the country.

The ninth generation of the Accord in hybrid avatar is powered by 2.0-litre Atkinson Cycle i-VTEC four-cylinder engine coupled with two electric motors. The powertrain is mated to an E-CVT transmission and a 1.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Combined output of the mill stands at 213bhp and it returns an overall fuel efficiency of 23.8kmpl. HCI is expected to launch a non-hybrid version of the sedan as well.

The new Accord get reworked front end that includes new headlight and grille. The taillight clusters comes with LED tech, 19-inch alloy wheels and tweaked front and rear bumpers are part of package. The interior will sport a 7-inch touchscreen display audio and heated rear seats.

The Accord, which was part of the Indian roads for almost five years since its entry into the market in 2008, was forced to retire owing to the poor sales. The hefty price tag resulted in the failure of the sedan in the Indian market. In the latest iteration, the Accord will go up against the Toyota Camry hybrid.