New Honda Accord - Launched Pics on Pg 6

[ac 427]

looks like honda is going backwards. this one is just another embera lookalike.
design lacks originality, has no distinct look. honda foronce has not got it right.

[vasudeva]

Whether Honda has got it right or not does not matter. Accord shall continue to sell the most in its segment. Japanese cars have never sold for their looks.

[fx45]

does this new one have LED tail lamps? they looked awsome on the facelifted accord

i dont like this new one much though

[metropolis]

This one is no head turner, facelifted one did not add fuel to the fire. Only the relaunched one was awesome.

[Gangsta]

Originally Posted by autopsyche

Thats awesome news, but someone pls verify... i heard theyre not bringing in the V6 engine in the new form?

yeah may be later. if they bring manual then it Will be a 6 speed manual or 5?

[vkochar]

Guys let it launch !!!

I know lookwise it looks like an Embera but I think its going to be one Hot Car performance wise.

Accord's are generally awesome ( I have driven plenty ). This new one sure has all the gizmos. I think it is aiming for the Camry / Passat's now.

[vittalnrv]

Looks good, but the V6 would have been the one to die for with all that 260 odd horses.

But its a different ball game altogether with the slick 5speed manual transmission for the inline-4. Honda always had the upper hand in performance at a premium.

Lets wait and watch how the new Accord grows up on Indian customers, have seen enough of Lauras on road!!

[vasudeva]

Inspite of generally good reviews, and being the 2nd largest selling car in the US (behind Camry), Accord has got only a tepid reception in the US. Sales during Jan-Feb 2008 were 51588, as compared with 56084 in Jan-feb 07, which represents a 9.9% decline. By comparison, Camry sales were 66515 in Jan-Feb 08, up 2.4% over Jan-Feb 07.

The reasons for tepid reception being:
1. Price competition with CRV
2. Older model was good. The new model is bigger, more expensive and less FE. That is not good with gas prices around $3.2/gallon.
3. Grumbles over styling.
4. Poor (compared with old one) driving experience.

To be fair, the car is new, production is not up fully to demand, and overall US automotive sales remained stagnant in 2007, and are expected to decline significantly in 2008. This will affect all manufacturers, but perhaps Japs to a lesser extent (because of reliability and higher FE than American cars).

[vcash]

Does anyone know if the new accord in auto transmission will have paddle shift?

Edit: It looks like the Thai version does - not sure if it's only on the V6 or the 4 pot. I hope the 4 cyl makes it with the flappy box to India.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by vasudeva

Inspite of generally good reviews, and being the 2nd largest selling car in the US (behind Camry), Accord has got only a tepid reception in the US. Sales during Jan-Feb 2008 were 51588, as compared with 56084 in Jan-feb 07, which represents a 9.9% decline. By comparison, Camry sales were 66515 in Jan-Feb 08, up 2.4% over Jan-Feb 07.

The reasons for tepid reception being:
1. Price competition with CRV
2. Older model was good. The new model is bigger, more expensive and less FE. That is not good with gas prices around $3.2/gallon.
3. Grumbles over styling.
4. Poor (compared with old one) driving experience.

To be fair, the car is new, production is not up fully to demand, and overall US automotive sales remained stagnant in 2007, and are expected to decline significantly in 2008. This will affect all manufacturers, but perhaps Japs to a lesser extent (because of reliability and higher FE than American cars).

Does Camry sales include the Hybrid numbers ? Except one magazine in the U.S, none of the others have said the driving experience is bad in the new Accord. Its still the benchmark in terms of balance.

Fit sales have had a staggering climb. I wonder when they will launch this in India.

[madan80]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

i think they will launch the 2.4l engine either in 176bhp or 190bhp tune. i hope its in 190bhp tune. the 190bhp 2.4l engine's redline is at 7100rpm.

IMHO - Most of the people who buy the accord buy it not for its power but for its road presence and looks ! One off you will have an executive buying the accord for its horses and displacement.

So for us petrol heads; if we can pick up a nice used accord then it makes sense.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Does Camry sales include the Hybrid numbers ? Except one magazine in the U.S, none of the others have said the driving experience is bad in the new Accord. Its still the benchmark in terms of balance.

Fit sales have had a staggering climb. I wonder when they will launch this in India.

No Camry and Accord numbers do not include hybrid. But including those numbers would further widen the gap between Camry and Hybdrid. Camry Hybrid sold around 7900 units in Jan-Feb 08. Accord Hybrid sold 90.

Fit sales were up 88% to 8806 in Jan-Feb 08. Even CRV is up. I read that Accord is being hit by high lease rentals as compared with camry. This is not justified given that both cars have high residual value. As a result, Honda has now increased incentives in Feb/Mar.

[srishiva]

Vasudeva, thanks for the info. The Accord Hybrid is the old one. Lack of incentives on new Accord (until now) could be one of the reason. Plus, I hear that there are some complaints about the VCM in V6 Accords. Hope the tag of a fullsize car isn't affecting the sales amidst the fuel price rise.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by madan80

IMHO - Most of the people who buy the accord buy it not for its power but for its road presence and looks !

The Accord makes a strong case as a sensible man's luxury car, vis a vis the very expensive ownership costs of the Europeans. It is roomier than even the Mercs / BMWs costing twice over. And don't even get me started on the reliability factor.

[vasudeva]

Originally Posted by GTO

The Accord makes a strong case as a sensible man's luxury car, vis a vis the very expensive ownership costs of the Europeans. It is roomier than even the Mercs / BMWs costing twice over. And don't even get me started on the reliability factor.

As I have said, Accord is the 2nd largest selling car in the US. That says a lot about its reliability and customer appeal. My point is that new Accord has not picked up recently because of various factors, of which perhaps US recession is the biggest factor. But also because of some grumbles about design. However, 2 months do not make a summer and you can bet that customer acceptance of new design will come and it should continue to be amongst the largest selling cars. The other cars do not stand a chance (PS: Chevy Malibu has been hyped so much and won so many `awards', but that has hardly made any dent in sales). In fact, inspite of winning awards, GM's redesigned Malibu sold 27001 in Jan-Feb 08.

What that proves is that there are magazine award winning cars (awards facilitated by marketing and schmoozing), and there are customer acceptance cars. That is all that matters.