Confirming previous murmurs, Honda Cars India will re-enter the luxury sedan market here, with the relaunch of the Accord next year. The Accord that will be brought to India next year will be the current, 9th generation version of the car that is sold internationally. Only last year, Honda discontinued the 8th generation version of the Accord sedan in India, even as international markets saw the introduction of the 9th generation model. The 9th generation Accord brings aboard styling changes, with Honda’s typical Japanese conservative-ness making itself apparent in the design of the new car that is more evolution than revolution.
The 9th generation Accord gets a more compact form factor than the outgoing model. Despite smaller dimensions than the 8th generation model, the 9th-gen Accord offers more space on the inside in terms of rear legroom. The feature set is given a boost in the form of LED headlamps, daytime running LEDs, adaptive cruise control and an array of safety equipment. The car’s chassis is an all-new affair with high strength steel being the major update along with a new front sub-frame that uses a mix of steel and aluminium for its construction. The suspension gets lighter than before with Macpherson struts up front and a multi-link layout at the rear.
The car also gets improvements in terms of noise, vibration and harshness levels, to make for a quieter and a more car. In terms of engines and transmissions, the 2.4 liter i-VTEC petrol engine (198 Bhp-234 Nm), which is an India-certainty, gets slightly improved performance and fuel efficiency levels. 6 speed manual and CVT automatic transmissions drive the front wheels of the car. Honda also offers a more powerful 3.5 liter V6 petrol motor and a 2 liter petrol-electric hybrid option. While the 9th generation Accord gets a 2.2 liter i-DTEC turbo diesel engine (148 Bhp-350 Nm) in the UK market, it remains to be seen whether Honda ushers in diesel power for the Accord that will soon arrive here.
Via FinancialExpress
