Honda Accord Hybrid launched at Rs 37 lakh

Following a slew of mass-market launches, Honda has now shifted focus onto its premium offerings with the re-launch of the Accord brand. Launched at Rs 37 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the ninth-gen Accord is being imported as a CBU and unlike its petrol-only predecessor, it is now offered as a hybrid only.

The car’s hybrid system pairs a 143hp 2.0-litre i-VTEC Atkinson cycle petrol motor paired with two electric motors to provide a combined output of 215hp. There are three modes of operation for the hybrid system – Hybrid Drive, EV and Engine Drive. In Hybrid drive, the electric power is supplied by both the cars batteries with the engine acting as a generator. In Engine drive mode, the engine powers the wheels directly and in EV mode the car is driven under battery power only but the range is a very limited 2km. Honda claims a mileage of 23.1kpl for the new Accord Hybrid.

Honda has packed the Accord with equipment. It gets equipment such as Active Noise Cancellation, LED headlamps, dual-zone automatic climate control, sunroof, remote start and remote pre-cooling and pre-heating of the cabin. The car also comes equipped with frequency selective dampers, similar to the system on the previous-gen C-class, which alters the suspension’s stiffness to suit either corners or straights. On the safety front, the Accord is offered with airbags, ABS, stability and traction control and lane watch assist – a system that uses a camera to monitor blind spots.

Being a CBU, the new Accord fails to qualify for benefits under the government’s FAME scheme, something that its chief rival, the locally-assembled Toyota Camry Hybrid avails of. At Rs 37 lakh, the pricing of the Accord puts it more in league with the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class and Audi A4.

Its direct rival, the Camry Hybrid however is a whopping Rs 6.1 lakh cheaper thanks to the FAME scheme and local assembly. It will be interesting to see how customers will perceive the new Accord especially with its pricing within the range of a segment above.

Read our Honda Accord hybrid review