The Honda Accord Hybrid has made a comeback to the Indian market and has been launched at Rs 37 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It is the flagship for the automaker and in addition to being feature heavy it will sport a dual motor setup that will not only make the car more efficient but also cater to the growing tribe of high-end eco conscious car buyers.
In terms of pricing, the Accord Hybrid occupies a niche section of the market and rivals vehicles like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the new Audi A4. In a bid to understand how the Accord stands up to its rivals here is our competition check.
Toyota Camry Hybrid
It is the main rival for the Accord Hybrid and is quite similar in terms of what is on offer. You get similar levels of equipment both in terms of safety and luxury but given that the Accord is a bit newer, it does have the little extras like the Lane Watch system which gives it the upper hand. Both are similar in terms of design and size but the Accord’s power unit has a higher output. Where the Camry’s 2.5-litre+electric unit produce 205bhp/270Nm, the Accord’s 2.0-litre petrol motor working in conjunction with two electric motors produces 215bhp/315Nm of torque.
However, the Camry will, in the current scenario, always have an advantage over the Accord as it is locally assembled for the Indian market. The Accord Hybrid will be a CBU and be priced at least Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh over the Toyota.
Audi A4
This is a bit of an odd ball as we are comparing an ICE with an hybrid petrol. However, both will be in a similar price range and so the A4 can be seen as an alternative to the big sedan. Where the Accord is a bit visually loud, chrome loaded and massive, the A4 is subtle, not so chrome loaded and smaller than the Accord. Given where they stand, the Accord is high on the space quotient while the Audi has some impressive features like the virtual cockpit and driving mode options.
The Honda Accord’s hybrid setup is larger and more powerful than the Audi’s four-cylinder 1.4-litre petrol unit but the Audi is considerably lighter and far nicer car to drive when it comes to ‘spirited escapades’.
