At the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, Honda Cars India has showcased the Hybrid version of its flagship sedan, Accord. The company has recently phased out the Accord sedan from India and is now planning to introduce the hybrid version of the saloon. This hybrid model is already on sale in international markets and is expected to hit the Indian roads by 2014-15.
It will be the company's second hybrid car in India. Civic hybrid was the first hybrid from the Japanese automaker in India, which failed to generate volumes for the company and eventually got dropped from the lineup. The Accord hybrid will be locally assembled and is expected to cost around 6-7 lakh more than the regular version, which makes it about Rs. 30-32 lakh.
The Honda Accord hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine that churns out a maximum power output of 141PS and 165Nm of top torque. This engine is combined to an electric motor, which in combine offers a top power of 196bhp and 306Nm of top torque. This drivetrain will allow the user to toggle between petrol or electric, or buyer can switch to hybrid mode as well. The hybrid system is mated to an e-CVT transmission unit.
The Accord hybrid's powertrain has three driving modes- EV drive, engine drive and hybrid drive. In EV Drive, the electric drive transmits power to the front wheels. The engine drive mode can be used during highway cruising or on high speeds. In hybrid drive, the engine powers the generator that adds to the current output from the battery.
Source : CarDekho - Honda New Accord - New Honda Accord Hybrid unveiled at 2014 Indian Auto Expo