Honda India's first luxury vehicle in years is the Accord Hybrid. It's also the brand's first eco-friendly alternative to German diesels.
It mainly competes with the Toyota Camry Hybrid, a longtime market leader in India. Honda has bet heavily on hybrids.
This is part of Honda's current DNA and may be seen in global vehicles. The ninth-generation Accord features Honda's latest hybrid technology for the Indian market.
The sharply creased and beautifully detailed full LED headlights are without a doubt the best piece of design on the whole car. The 18-inch wheels are also very attractive.
Even the most high-end of Toyotas and Hondas tend to feel plasticky at places and lack that general sense of opulence. The Accord Hybrid however begs to differ.
First of all, the old model's dashboard, which was full of buttons and looked pretty old-fashioned, has been replaced by this much more luxurious unit.
Design highlights include the hefty four-spoke steering wheel and the integrated instrument panel and 7.7-inch i-MID.
It comes as no surprise, then, that this new model leaves a mighty good impression when you set yourself into the seats.
The cabin is large. When Honda claims that their vehicle is spacious, they are not kidding. Additionally, the front seats are snug and supportive, and the footwell is spacious.
The Accord Hybrid has two different propulsion systems, not just one. One is a 2-liter, 4-cylinder i-VTEC engine, and the other is a setup with two electric motors.
All combine to deliver a peak power output of 215bhp and 315Nm of torque right from the word go. Honda calls its hybrid system as the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD).
The only actual competitor this new Honda Accord has is the Camry Hybrid, therefore the new Accord faces little other competition.
Both of these cars serve a narrow market and have not yet been accepted as viable replacements to conventional petrol and diesel-powered luxury sedans.