Honda Accord to Return to India With Hybrid

The Honda Accord was once the darling of the Indian sedan market. Not only the bestseller in its class, but also a benchmark sedan for many buyers - from the driving enthusiasts to those driven by a chauffeur. But since 2013 we have not seen this nameplate in India.

The full-size sedan segment has been drying up these past few years, with buyers opting for entry premium brand offerings or SUVs. The full-sizers were also getting more and more expensive over time which was also a turn-off for buyers. (Gone are the days when the Skoda Superb or Accord started at Rs. 17-18 lakh).

But now as the Toyota Camry, especially its hybrid version, has started to gain ground, and Volkswagen and Skoda prepare their new generation cars for India - namely the Passat and Superb, respectively. Toyota has sold over 700 units of the Camry hybrid in India since its launch 8 months ago, and this is why the new Accord will come to us with the hybrid option from the very start.

Now when I say 'new' Accord, it's a bit relative, since the 9th generation car debuted globally almost 3 years ago. The facelift of that model has recently been unveiled too, and it is that car which will make its way to India. As has been tradition with the Accord in the past, we expect the US-specification Accord to touchdown in India.

The Accord will break cover at the Auto Expo in February, though a market launch and price announcement may only happen by April 2016. Honda will focus more on the hybrid model as hybrids have now started to gain some ground here.

The car is powered by a 2-litre, 16-valve i-VTEC petrol engine that's mated to the electric motor which derives power from the on-board lithium-ion battery. The petrol unit churns out 141bhp, but the system's combined output is a 196bhp with a generous 306Nm of torque. The transmission is an electronic CVT, which is designed to handle all that torque.

The facelift has given the face of the Accord a futuristic and athletic appearance, but the thick metal grille with the enhanced LED headlights is not carried over to the Hybrid version - at least in the US. So, we will have to wait and see what Honda decides to do with the Indian model next year. The Accord is expected to drive in with plenty of goodies like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

I expect Honda to price the Accord competitively and possibly undercut Toyota with a Rs. 29.99 lakh price tag. Traditionally though, Honda is loath to go below Toyota's pricing, and so it's safe to assume the Accord will return in fully-loaded variants at a price band that sits between Rs. 28-32 lakh for the 189bhp, 2.4-litre petrol CVT and the aforementioned hybrid versions. I think the added sense of style on the car (as compared to the Camry in particular) and the affinity the name Accord carries in India will hold it in good stead.

Honda will assess the reaction to the car before deciding on whether or not it will also subsequently bring the 278bhp, 3.5-litre V6 variant to India as well.