Honda announces the launch of the successor of the previous generation, Honda Accord, but this time it comes only as a Hybrid and will be imported as a CBU hence the high price of Rs 37 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The accord hybrid is powered by a 2.2 litre Atkinson- cycle 4 cylinder petrol engine coupled with 2 electric motors. The 2 electric motors include one generator motor and one propulsion motor. Power is sent via the propulsion motor to the front wheel at all times. In pure electric mode the Accord has a range of just 1km which essentially means you can get out of driveways and parking lots in silence. Soon enough, the petrol motor kicks in, but power isn’t directly sent to the wheels. It instead goes to the electric motor to charge the battery. So the electric motors make 181.5bhp and 315Nm of torque while the petrol engine makes 143bhp and 175Nm. The combined output stands at 212bhp.
The Accord hybrid will be Honda’s flagship and it looks the part. Unlike its bulky predecessor, this new generation accord is tighter skinned and comes with interesting detailing for the full LED headlamps, a nice set of alloys and a sleeker side profile.
On the features front, there are two screens on the center console, the lower one for your multimedia display. It also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The upper screen is used for i-MID, Honda’s multi-information display that can be controlled from the steering mounted controls. It doubles up as the display for the reversing camera and blind spot camera located under the left rear view mirror. You can keep the blind spot camera on at all times with the help of the switch on the indicator stalk or it turns on automatically when you turn left. Even the air conditioning adjusts itself to the side of the car that receives more sun.
The Accord Hybrid will compete against the Camry Hybrid in India but is a full Rs 6 lakh costlier. This is mainly because it is imported as a CBU and doesn’t qualify for the incentives extended to hybrids under the FAME scheme.
Read the evo India review of the Accord Hybrid here.