Act accordingly

You're going to be driving this soon, so listen up.

Yes, 2007 means the Frankfurt Motor Show. And Honda thought it would be a good opportunity to unveil the new Accord sedan and coupe at the show this September.

But not before they ended a run of spy photographs popping out on the web and released these first pictures and info on the car that is headed for Indian shores next year.

The Accord has been Honda's money-spinner for the last 25 years in markets like the US. It's so good that it has been a top two best-seller for the last 15 years "" now that's a record. Unlike the new Civic that was launched internationally in 2005, the new Accord is not very bold. Instead it appears as traditional from all angles, the interiors included. Rather, they've put enough kit and technology in the car that it feels like it belongs to a segment above.

With the Accord, Honda have dumped the concept of different versions either side of the Atlantic and have opted for a single design theme, for both the sedan and coupe.

But Honda have done a Hyundai on themselves, borrowing some cues from the current Hyundai Sonata and even the kinked C-pillar design from the BMW 3 Series. Inspiration or not, the new Accord is a well thought out design that won't age too soon, just like the outgoing seventh generation car.

On the inside, Honda have opted for a traditional dashboard, but with some hints of the Civic, such as the steering wheel or even the centre console design.

The auto-climate and high-end music system are just advancements, but addition of features like stability control and multi-stage airbags have made it a lot safer. We hope these features make it to India. We also hope they don't detune the cars by much, because with the new 3.5-litre V6 and the tuned 2.4-litre inline-four, performance numbers are going to get a significant bump.

The V6 automatic is a technological marvel. Not only does it now have i-VTEC (the previous 3.0-litre was only VTEC), it is also a very smart engine that shuts down two or three cylinders when the car is being driven gently, like say when you're puttering around town. Not only does it make the car cleaner to run, it is also very fuel efficient, with Honda claiming close to 11 kpl for the engine.

This technology was first seen in a couple of American cars at the turn of the century and is certainly a boon in a country like India. The 2.4-litre engine, on the other hand, produces 177 bhp and is available with a five-speed auto or manual. Honda claims improved mileage for this as well, something that could make the competition jittery.

And why not. The current facelifted seventh generation Accord on sale in India has helped Honda improve its sales numbers by more than 30 per cent a month. And it's just a facelift after all. We expect to see this all-new Accord by mid next year in India and a price increase for both the models by around five per cent. Even that might not stop Honda from running away with the best-seller tag in its segment in the country. Yet again!