[dZired]

Mod Note: Team-BHP's Honda Accord Hybrid Report has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Thank you to Team-BHP fan Ashray Bakhru who sent this image in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts!

A white 2016 Honda Accord was recently spotted with minimal camouflage in Gurgaon, which suggests that Honda has started testing the sedan on Indian roads.

Honda had earlier made it clear that it would re-launch the Accord in India, though no official launch date was announced. The recent spy shot points towards an approaching launch, and verifies earlier speculations that suggest the next-gen Accord will make its Indian debut around this year's festive season (September-November 2016). Moreover, since the Accord was showcased at this year's Auto Expo, it makes more sense for the Japanese automaker to launch it in 2016 itself.

The 2016 Accord has been given an all-new design. The front fascia gets a thick chrome grille, which is surrounded by large headlamp housings that get LED detailing. The bumper gets a slimmer air dam, and also houses the LED foglamps. Viewed from the side, the car's length gives it a planted stance, while the rear gets LED taillights and chrome detailing on the boot lid and rear bumper.

A quick search on the Parivahan Sewa website shows that the model spotted in Gurgaon is a petrol variant. This means that it probably gets a 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder engine that churns out 185 BHP. This engine is likely to be offered with two transmission options: a 6-speed manual and a CVT. Moreover, Honda can also launch the new Accord in a hybrid variant, in order to compete with the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The Accord Hybrid might get a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that works in harmony with an electric motor to generate a combined output of 196 BHP. It is mated to an e-CVT gearbox.

The Honda Accord will compete with the likes of Toyota Camry, Skoda Superb, and upcoming Volkswagen Passat.





Link to Team-BHP News

[neeld]

As per Zauba the car was imported on 14th October 2015. The import price looks quite high @ Rs. 19.24L.



Source: www.zauba.com

[motorworks]

Looks boring to me! I mean the whole 25-30 sedan segment seems to be hitting a dead end. The new superb looks like a grown up Octavia, the Passat like the Jetta and now the Accord will which just looks bland.. Earlier the cars were distinct in this segment, the older superb had its own character and the accord was always a little classy than the city and civic..

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Had to Google and compare images of the E class to spot the difference. Too much of inspiration here!

The hybrid could be the one to watch out for. What's the speciality of the eCVT gearbox for the hybrid?

[Aaron:)]

Great news! Also glad that Honda has restarted testing their cars on public roads, especially since the City and Jazz were not tested. The Accord could be the ideal option for people who find the Camry too boring but are scared of Skoda's aftersales.


Here's how she looks in flesh. It resembles the E-class from a few angles IMO. Overall it looks clean and well proportioned.

Originally Posted by motorworks

Looks boring to me! I mean the whole 25-30 sedan segment seems to be hitting a dead end. The new superb looks like a grown up Octavia, the Passat like the Jetta and now the Accord will which just looks bland.. Earlier the cars were distinct in this segment, the older superb had its own character and the accord was always a little classy than the city and civic..

I agree with you on this one. Manufacturers have started taking the whole family look idea too far. It can be seen in other manufacturers too, right from Hyundai (i20 and upcoming Verna) to Mercedes (all their sedans, right from the C-class to the S-class).

If we have a look at the 2nd gen Superb, it had it's own identity. The new one looks a lot like an overgrown Octavia, much like the 1st gen. The Camry has started to look like the Corolla, and the Passat like the Jetta. It reminds me of how the 1st gen (in India) Accord looked like an overgrown City.

I hope they get the pricing right. The Accord, at least in India has always undercut the Superb and Camry. I don't know how far they'll be able to repeat that, since it's going to be a CBU. But I hope they don't go overboard with the pricing.

[bigron]

Honda, no point bringing in just a petrol motor. Take your time and bring in the hybrid.It is doing wonders for Toyota despite the price.

[YashD]

I don't know why but the new generation Accord doesn't have that character or appeal which the competition offers. I agree to the fact that all have the same family design but the Accord simply looks way too bland. Except the length, be it the rear or front, overall it doesn't justify the high price tag it will be commanding.
For e.g the new Skoda Superb even though has design on the similar line of Octavia still has it's own charm and gives you that feel of sophistication a person buying a sedan in this class would want. I would rather prefer waiting for Civic over this! Atleast that would look smart and out of the box.
Honda needs to find some good designers! Slowly, the manufacturer is losing it's charm and brand value which hurts quite a bit being a Honda loyalist.

[libranof1987]

This Accord, or any Accord for that matter, in my opinion, doesn't ooze luxury. It doesn't have the looks; nor the creature comforts one would want in that segment.

Also, who exactly would want an Accord MT? Are they relying on those who will only be chauffeur driven the whole time.

[GTO]

Thanks to Skoda's awful support to the new Superb (delivery issues, no diesels), the 4-year old Camry is actually outselling it. In the last 3 months, the Camry has averaged 150 units / month which is very respectable.

Honda must be eyeing a piece of that pie. Pricing will be key though. Any CBU-kind of price tag will make it dead on arrival. Honda shouldn't overlook the fact that the next-generation Camry is just around the corner too.

The Accord still has immense brand value in India and there are a lot of folk who'll buy it for the space, reliability etc. But again, pricing will be key (especially of the hybrid variant).

Originally Posted by neeld

The import price looks quite high @ Rs. 19.24L.

We should ignore the custom's declared prices. As we've seen in the past, they have no influence whatsoever on the car's final selling price.

[Ahmed]

Any news if the new Accord will be available 'petrol only' or are we expecting diesel as well?

[VW2010]

Honda must be eyeing a piece of that pie. Pricing will be key though. Any CBU-kind of price tag will make it dead on arrival. Honda shouldn't overlook the fact that the next-generation Camry is just around the corner too.

Jetta top end + 5-7L is where i see the minimum pricing of this car. Accord is cheaper in countries like US or i can say affordable. But here its premium pricing and almost the gap segment between the Jettas and BMW's.

Anyone opting for Accord will have to overlook a bunch of good cars for excellent pricing compared to the Accord.

Only other way of looking is having a bare naked version to start with at price point say closer to the current Jetta's/Skodas/Corollas while have a fully loaded top end Automatic version exclusively priced for those who want only Honda.

[YashD]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Only other way of looking is having a bare naked version to start with at price point say closer to the current Jetta's/Skodas/Corollas while have a fully loaded top end Automatic version exclusively priced for those who want only Honda.

That again arises the question, does Honda has the same brand value or ought I say snob value which it commanded earlier? A bare naked variant priced at around 20-22 Lakhs on-road with a petrol engine! IMO The consumers will any day go for a different manufacturer. Moreover, Volkswagen tried the same with Passat and it failed (Petrol Passat in Trendline variant only).

Another thing is the market has developed a lot in the past few years, specifically, the premium segments. Consumers have become a lot more mature before making a decision and are brand conscious because a lot of folks simply buy a car from one of these segments as a premium vehicle in the garage only to be used on weekends or formal occasions.

With the Honda brand entering budget market, selling multiple products in the lower category and the type of quality these folks are providing, Honda doesn't have that same old Snob or brand value which it once had during the time of City, Civic, CR-V and Jazz. I would prefer a Superb MT instead of a bare naked Accord with a Manual box even though the former would be a little expensive as at the end of the day Skoda still has that premium brand value which it always had, the same can be said for Volkswagen too even they are in the budget segments but haven't compromised in any major aspects like build quality, interior fit and finish or overall design yet keeping the price quite competitive.

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by YashD

That again arises the question, does Honda has the same brand value or ought I say snob value which it commanded earlier? A bare naked variant priced at around 20-22 Lakhs on-road with a petrol engine! IMO The consumers will any day go for a different manufacturer. Moreover, Volkswagen tried the same with Passat and it failed (Petrol Passat in Trendline variant only).

Another thing is the market has developed a lot in the past few years, specifically, the premium segments. Consumers have become a lot more mature before making a decision and are brand conscious because a lot of folks simply buy a car from one of these segments as a premium vehicle in the garage only to be used on weekends or formal occasions.

With the Honda brand entering budget market, selling multiple products in the lower category and the type of quality these folks are providing, Honda doesn't have that same old Snob or brand value which it once had during the time of City, Civic, CR-V and Jazz. I would prefer a Superb MT instead of a bare naked Accord with a Manual box even though the former would be a little expensive as at the end of the day Skoda still has that premium brand value which it always had, the same can be said for Volkswagen too even they are in the budget segments but haven't compromised in any major aspects like build quality, interior fit and finish or overall design yet keeping the price quite competitive.

The Accord hasn't even been launched here. No details regarding engine options, transmission options or equipment have been released. How can we assume that the Accord is going to be, as you said "bare naked"? We all know that the hybrid is coming. And if they're launching a petrol MT, a petrol AT will surely be there, as it has always been.

Toyota received brickbats for the cost cutting off the Etios. Yet, they successfully sell expensive cars like the Corolla, Innova Crysta, Fortuner and Camry. A buyer couldn't care less about the Etios as long as his Camry is luxurious and well built.

Honda (surprisingly) still has some snob value left, and it's only going to increase with the launch of the Civic, Accord, HR-V and next gen CR-V. In fact, the BR-V was the last of the Brio family. I don't think we're going to see any other Brio based offering for the next 3 years or so.

As far as Skoda and VW are concerned, there's a whole lot of people who are scared (and rightly so) of buying a Superb or Passat thanks to their pathetic aftersales (though VW is slightly better than Skoda). Honda and Toyota are targeting those buyers.

[asr245]

Originally Posted by YashD

That again arises the question, does Honda has the same brand value or ought I say snob value which it commanded earlier? A bare naked variant priced at around 20-22 Lakhs on-road with a petrol engine! IMO The consumers will any day go for a different manufacturer. Moreover, Volkswagen tried the same with Passat and it failed (Petrol Passat in Trendline variant only).

Never knew SKodas & VWs had snob value. Or are you talking about the snobbish behaviour of their dealers & the company itself?

I, for one, will always prefer a bare naked Accord over the snobbish skoda/VW. Why? Reliability = peace of mind. Mind you that reliability also translates to better re-sale (I do consider that as a factor in buying decision). I would also consider buying a used Honda but never a Skoda/VW.

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

As far as Skoda and VW are concerned, there's a whole lot of people who are scared (and rightly so) of buying a Superb or Passat thanks to their pathetic aftersales (though VW is slightly better than Skoda). Honda and Toyota are targeting those buyers.

I fall in that group big time.

[V.Narayan]

Hybrid + Leg space at the rear + Honda's service reliability is what I need. I only hope the quality of the interiors is top of class.