2016 Honda Accord Hybrid

Tech-laden new Accord does justice to the Honda flagship tag.

HONDA HAS WAITED a long time to get the Accord back to India. The previous generations impressed us with their comfort, space and performance, but the rising yen played villain in the Accord’s success story here. It is a flagship sedan for Honda so compromises couldn’t be made in terms of features and equipment, pricing the sedan out of competition. Since Honda realises that this situation isn’t going to change,the new generation Accord takes a different approach – small numbers, exclusivity, hybrid powertrain and a high price. We’ll come to the price in a bit. Here are our first impressions of the luxury sedan after a short drive on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Internationally, the ninth generation Accord that is currently on sale has been around since 2012. It got a facelift earlier this year and that’s the car coming to India. This new Accord looks a lot tighter skinned than its predecessor, which was known to be a bulky sedan. The design is an evolution though the Accord styling cue carries forward. Everything from the front bumpers, to the fenders, to the rear haunches and the tailgate seem to be penned with restraint, and that makes the Accord look a lot sportier now. The full-LED headlights are the highlight of new Accord though. Whether turned on or off, they look stunning and give a sense of richness to the design. The 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels are also well-designed and the lip spoiler on the trunk is a nice touch. A blue accent in the headlight is the signature hybrid element and there are a bunch of hybrid badges at various locations to remind you of its green credentials.