Honda, the well appreciated Japanese auto maker, is planning to launch the hybrid model of its premium sedan Accord in the Indian market by 2014 end. Accord Hybrid happens to be the new generation model, which has been already offered for sale in overseas markets such as North America. It must be noted that the current generation model of Honda Accord was discontinued from the company's product portfolio because of poor sales. Sources close to the development process have revealed that the new generation Honda Accord will be available with only one engine option, hybrid, and will be assembled in the country, which will keep its cost low.
Notably, the Japanese auto maker had earlier experimented with its hybrids models in the Indian market, but results were not impressive. The company introduced Civic Hybrid a few years back, which was brought as a Complete Built Unit (CBU). This model mainly flopped because of its heavy price tag, which hit the sentiments of price sensitive Indian buyers. Industry experts are of a view that the next generation model of Accord will perform fairly better. It is being speculated that the price tag of Accord Hybrid will be close to Rs. 25 lakh. The new Honda Accord is likely to be much more fuel efficient, which will bring down the running cost for the driver. Moreover, the hybrid model will be a lot more quiet that its petrol version. Also, it will sport a number of cutting edge features, which will make it more comfortable and premium.
It is believed that the upcoming Accord Hybrid will incorporate a 2-litre petrol engine and a lithium-ion battery. The petrol engine will churn out a maximum power of 140 bhp with peak torque of 165 Nm. Along with, the electronic motor will produce 164 bhp with highest torque of 306 Nm. The combined output of both these powertrains is expected to clock at around 200 bhp.
