Honda Accord hybrid
Honda Accord hybridHonda

Honda Car India launched Accord hybrid at Rs 37 lakh ex-showroom Delhi on October 25. The pricing has raised some eyebrows as its main rival, Toyota Camry hybrid, costs Rs 30.90 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. The Accord hybrid is pricier as it is imported from Thailand and that attracts a customs duty of 60 percent. In addition, the Accord hybrid does not benefit from the FAME scheme of the Narendra Modi government for electric vehicles and hybrids as it is not manufactured in India.

Honda Car India is not writing off possibility of assembling Accord Hybrid in the country. The Japanese carmaker is waiting to see the response for the hybrid sedan. Honda will look into locally assembling Accord hybrid if it can do sales of 5,000 units a year, said Yoichiro Ueno, president and CEO, Honda Cars India reports Overdrive.

The current assembly lines at Honda manufacturing facilities in Greater Noida and Tapukara need to the tweaked to assemble Accord hybrid. This means it will require additional investment. Hence, a steady sale for Accord hybrid is required to make local assembly of the flagship sedan profitable.

The response for the vehicle seems to be positive so far. Despite having a premium price tag, the first batch of 27 Accord hybrid is reportedly sold out. The second lot of the Accord hybrid is expected to reach Indian shores in early 2017 and deliveries are expected from March.

Accord hybrid comes powered by a 2.0-litre Atkinson Cycle i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine coupled with two electric motors connected to 1.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

The petrol unit can churn out a power of 143bhp at 6,200rpm and 175Nm of peak torque at 4,000rpm. It is mated to an E-CVT transmission. The combined output of the hybrid powertrain stands at 213bhp and it returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 23.1kmpl.

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