Honda Cars India showcased some ambitious plans at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo with the much anticipated 9th generation Accord, which has now been launched at Rs 37 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The ex-shoroom price for Bangalore is Rs 40.57 lakh and in Navi Mumbai the Accord will cost you 40.14 lakh.
It is powered by a 2.0-litre Atkinson Cycle DOHC i-VTEC engine that uses Honda’s ‘Earth Dream Technology’, or in simple words, a clever hybrid technology system that allows the car to deliver good power figures while being able to maintain and impressive fuel economy.
The Accord has always been a handsomely styled sedan and the latest model keeps up with that tradition. The front-end of the car gets sleek headlamps which seem to take inspiration from the Japanese automaker's flagship supercar - the NSX. The large chrome grille, large diamond-cut wheels along with the neatly placed Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) give the car an aggressive stance.
The chrome treatment continues to back as well, with a large chrome strip running along the boot, giving it a wider look.
The Honda Accord's biggest competitor in the Indian market is the Toyota Camry, which has been enjoying the space of a luxury hybrid sedan all by itself until now. There's also a new competitor set to enter this segment later in 2017 in the form of the Volkswagen Passat GTE.
One of the biggest factors behind the pricing of Accord is the fact that Honda does not get the advantage of FAME tax break, despite taking the hybrid route, as it is going to be imported as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and not assembled here, like the Toyota Camry.
What the company do have working in their favour is the popularity of the Accord name tag, which brings in a sense of familiarity and recall value whenever some one hears of it.
What remains to be seen is how the Indian market responds to this price tag.
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