New Honda Accord V6 next week

A new Accord V6 will be launched by India next week from Honda SIEL  The Indian operations of the Japanese auto giant sees it as a milestone for the brand in the country.

The Accord has always been a luxury car in India – priced below where the BMWs and Mercedes Benz cars start. The new Honda Accord V6 would be the company’s flagship model in India, and is not expected to sell in large numbers.

The new Honda Accord V6 would come with a 3.5 litre engine, generating 280 horsepower. However, the company has not been forthcoming about the proposed price the car would carry. It is being speculated that the car would be priced at around Rs 25 lakh in the Indian car market. We hope to have a story with the full specifications and details of the Accord V6 when the car is launched.

Compared with the current version of the Accord, the new Accord V6 would stand head and shoulders above the current one. The existing version sports a 2.4 litre engine that generates 180 hp and is priced at Rs 16.72 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). So this new car is a whopping 100 bhp extra on tap!

Following on the heels of the new Honda Accord V6 would be the proposed Jazz. It is expected that the Jazz, a premium hatchback, would be rolled out in the country by middle of this year. The car would have a 1.2 litre engine, specifically meant for Indian regulations to avail 12.5 per cent tax rebate, said a report. Trial production of the Jazz had already started, said company officials.

It has been reported that Honda is also mulling over a price hike for various models. Further, it is expected to cut India output by over 45 per cent for the next six months in order to prevent inventory build-up amid the slowdown in the domestic car market.

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Siel Group, has cut its production to 200 cars a day in a single shift since the beginning of 2009 from the its full production capacity of 380 units a day in two shifts. The good news though is that compared to December 2008, the copany managed to sell more in January and February 2009.

Honda had recently launched its all new Honda City in India to resounding success. 2009, despite the slowdown in the Indian auto market, would be an exciting year nevertheless due to the steady sales of the Honda City, the launch of the new Accord V6 and the exciting small car Honda Jazz which would take on the Grande Punto, Skoda Fabia and Hyundai i20 in India.