Honda Accord Hybrid launch on October 25, 2016

As part of its plan to move upmarket, Honda will launch the 2016 Accord sedan in India on October 25, 2016. The carmaker had discontinued the eighth-generation Accord due to slow demand and didn't bring in the ninth-generation car to India, when it launched globally. The sedan is now set to make its way back into India but only in the hybrid form, unlike its predecessor, which was available in two petrol engine options.

The 2016 Accord Hybrid sedan for India is the facelifted version of the ninth-generation car that received a mid-cycle refresh earlier this year. The updated car gets re-profiled bumpers and grille along with tweaked headlamps and tail-lamps that make the car look more aggressive. Honda showcased the updated Accord petrol at the Auto Expo earlier this year and confirmed the news of the hybrid model coming to our shores.

The Accord Hybrid will come with standard equipment which include a 7.7-inch infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, LED headlamps and a rear-view camera. It will also get six airbags as standard, along with various safety features such as ABS and EBD. The sedan will be fitted with unique blue-tinted headlamps and get a blue shade on the grille, along with unique badges to differentiate it from the standard model sold abroad. The Accord Hybrid is a non-plug-in hybrid car powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine along with twin-electric motors and a 1.3kW battery. The petrol engine churns out 143hp of power, and the combined output with the electric motors will stand at around 199hp of power and 300Nm of torque.

The Accord Hybrid for India will be a fully imported unit unlike its direct rival, the Toyota Camry Hybrid which is a locally assembled model. This means, unlike the Camry, the Accord will not qualify for the government’s FAME scheme which will result in it being priced higher than its rival. This will be Honda’s second hybrid after the Civic Hybrid which was briefly sold in India.

Honda is expected to price the Accord Hybrid at around Rs 40 lakh (ex-showroom).