Although Hybrid technology has been catching up slowly, it took the
odd/even rule in the Delhi NCR region to get the common man to know
about it. The Accord, Honda’s flagship sedan, has enjoyed its success
in the past and has done rather well for itself. Now Honda has decided
to revive the Accord brand, only difference being that this time it
will be available as a Hybrid. It will compete directly with the
Toyota Camry Hybrid in this rather niche segment
What made Honda decide on the Hybrid? Statistics clearly show that the
Camry sells more in the Hybrid form and that was reason enough for
Honda to follow suit. It isn’t the first time Honda is bringing the
Hybrid technology to India. Honda had launched the Civic Hybrid
previously with little success as this car was much ahead of its time.
This time however, the Japanese manufacturer is confident that the
Accord will shake up the segment. We took the Accord for a short spin
in Hyderabad to find out more.
EXTERIORS
A new thick chrome slat grille comes on the Honda Accord Hybrid. The
LED headlamps have DRLs as well. The new fascia makes the Honda Accord
Hybrid look bigger and more premium. It has a strong road presence
too. The side profile is not very different from the earlier car. The
rear looks quite similar to the the BMW 5 Series. The new Accord is
very much European is design and also a lot more appealing. It wears
the Hybrid badging on the side and the rear.
INTERIORS
Move inside the luxury sedan and there are features and technologies
that one would expect on a luxury vehicle. Buttons surrounded on the
steering wheel for audio and cruise controls make sure the driver has
a completely undistracted experience. The combination of the beige and
dark grey theme with faux wood inserts enhance the elegant appeal. You
also get two screens, one for the lane departure warning, which is
Honda’s exclusive patent and an AVN or Audio, Video & Navigation unit
that pairs with a smartphone.
The Honda Accord Hybrid also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
functionality that mirrors the smartphone’s screen on the
infotainment. All this technology with the upmarket tactile feel is
something the Accord Hybrid excels at. In order to cool the cabin
beforehand if the Accord Hybrid is parked in the sun, Honda have
provisioned a remote start function. Once in the car, all you need to
do is press the brake pedal and press the start/stop button.
Add to this the wide seats in both rows with adequate bolstering for a
six feet plus person and impressive underthigh support, you have the
perfect blend of what a luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles
should be. The rear seats, despite being adjusted for my height (for
reference I am six feet two inches tall), had acres of legroom, knee
room and headroom. Underthigh support and recline, like the front
seats, is brilliant.
A noteworthy mention is the electrically adjustable co driver’s seat
that has switches on one side to adjust the seat by the passenger
sitting behind it. So, more room for the person who is being chauffer
driven through the day.
PERFORMANCE
Add to this the wide seats in both rows with adequate bolstering for a
six feet plus person and impressive underthigh support, you have the
perfect blend of what a luxury sedan with all the bells and whistles
should be. The rear seats, despite being adjusted for my height (for
reference I am six feet two inches tall), had acres of legroom, knee
room and headroom. Underthigh support and recline, like the front
seats, is brilliant.
A noteworthy mention is the electrically adjustable co driver’s seat
that has switches on one side to adjust the seat by the passenger
sitting behind it. So, more room for the person who is being chauffer
driven through the day.
The Seating Capacity of Honda Accord sedan is of 5 persons. This car
is having the 2 Seating Rows. The Number of doors is Four; there are 4
doors in this car. The capacity of Fuel tank is 65 liters. This is
good.
The break is the main control of any car, on front side The Accord
gives Ventilated Disc as breaks, on rear side it is Disc. If we talk
about the front suspensions it is having The McPherson Strut, and on
the rear suspensions, it has Independent multi-link and coil springs
with stabilizer.
SAFETY
The Honda Accord Hybrid has safety features loaded to the hilt with
airbags all around, ABS with EBD, traction control, hill start assist
and lots more. An unexpected situation while driving asked for hard
braking and the sedan was composed throughout. A noteworthy mention
goes to Honda’s exclusive Lane Departure Warning system. A camera
mounted on the left ORVM turns on with the video feed coming on the
screen in the centre console. In this case, the driver knows what is
in the blindspot and does not have to move his/her head away from the
road to see the left ORVM. Personally, I would have loved is this
feature was also available for the right side as well.
DRIVING DYNAMICS
Test drove the new, refreshed Accord from Delhi to Agra and were
reminded of the familiar engine characteristics and ride quality that
the 8{+t}{+h} generation Accord is known for. The 2.4-litre i-VTEC
engine generates a peak power of 180 PS and is paired with either a
five-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic transmission,
with steering-mounted paddle shifters for optional manual inputs. The
other, more advanced and powerful engine option is the 3.5-litre V6
engine that generates a strong 275 PS of peak power when all six
cylinders are operating – a fact that needs mention because this
engine is endowed with VCM. The system switches between six, four and
three cylinder combustion depending on the driving conditions and
driver demands. VCM ensures smooth transitions and power delivery,
while simultaneously making sure that fuel economy is optimised.
Book a Test Drive for Honda Accord
BOTTOMLINE
It is tempting to think that Honda miscalculated in replacing a car as
fit and healthy as the old Accord with something that, although new,
seems to advance the art to no great extent. Such is the brilliance of
hindsight. The truth is that this car was on the drawing board soon
after the birth of the previous one and few could have predicted then
what staying power its forebear would possess.
Yes, it would have been better to let the old Accord live a little
longer and spend the time making a new one with more than the ability
merely to maintain the class pace, but we’re not going to condemn this
Accord for that.
Apply Car Loan for Honda Accord
Honda Accord Ex Showroom Price in Hyderabad ranges from 37,22,124/- (Accord Hybrid) .Honda Accord has 1 Variants of Hybrid are available in India. Honda Accord comes in 4 colours, namely Lunar Silver Metallic,Modern Steel Metallic,Crystal Black Pearl,White Orchid Pearl.