Honda contemplates launching the Next-gen Accord in India

The extremely successful Honda Cars India apart from the many already scheduled new launches, is now contemplating to introduce the next generation Accord sedan in the Indian car market. The senior VP of marketing & sales at Honda Cars India Limited, Mr. Jnaneshwar Sen revealed to the media that the Accord, the company’s flagship brand will now emerge in its 9th generation model and introduced to India. The Japanese luxury car major is certainly planning an Indian launch but did not provide any more details on the timeline.

The market experts expect the next-gen Accord sedan to the hit the international markets including the Asian markets by the end of this year or in the beginning of 2015. Honda is also expected to count of the sedan’s diesel version to pitch it against the successful global models like the Volkswagen Passat, Nissan Teana, and Skoda Superb.

The premium sedan Accord, which is priced at Rs. 20.45 to Rs. 21.45 lakhs has been leading the Japanese car maker’s swanky lineage in India. However, the sedan lacks a diesel version that made its sales decline, as the consumers opted for other luxury cars from Mercedes Benz and BMW with similar pricing.

Honda is surely riding high on its latest diesel powered cars of Amaze and the new City and thus, it wishes to repeat the magic again with the new Accord with a diesel counterpart. Sen added that the company has recently stopped the production of the current 8^th generation model of the Accord in India and that about 60 units of the sedan were sold in the month of October 2013, after which the company stopped selling the Accord.

Honda sold only 272 units of the now discontinued Accord in India in the 7 months of the ongoing fiscal, as against the close to 1,000 units of the Skoda superb, the Accord’s nearest rival. Honda India sold a total 11,492 of the 8^th generation Accord sedan since it was launched in India back in the year 2008.

Honda Cars India currently offers its Brio, Amaze, City and the CR-V vehicles for sale in India. The Japanese car major is all set to launch the Mobilio MPV and the all new 2014 Jazz premium hatchback in the 2014-15 fiscal. Both of these new cars were displayed at the recently concluded 2014 Delhi Auto Expo.

The company’s fortunes turned overnight in India, after it provided its first diesel car option with the launch of its astral success Amaze compact sedan in April 2013. Sen proudly announced that Honda has witnessed the sale of more than 64,307 units of the Amaze sedan in the time period of April 2013 to January 2014. In the month of January the 7,396 units of the Amaze were sold. The Amaze is already one of the fastest selling cars in the country.

The all new Honda City that was launched in the beginning of January 2014 has received an overwhelming response as well and sold 7,184 units in the same month.