Accord powering up to boost sales

By Nick Gibbs

09th February 2009

Will ‘S’ be the secret to the Accord’s success? Honda hopes so, with a new high-performance Type S diesel set to join the executive car range from June.

It will debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, alongside the firm’s new Insight hybrid and the CR-X sports hybrid concept, plus a run-out version of the S2000.

Available in saloon or estate bodystyles, the Type S features an uprated 2.2-litre diesel. This has a revised turbo, new cylinder head and larger intercooler, and offers 178bhp – a rise of 30bhp – and 380Nm of torque. The car is expected to cost £27,000, but even with 18-inch alloys, leather and sat-nav as standard, it will have its work cut out to match its Audi, BMW and VW rivals in the charts. Last year, just over 6,000 Accords found homes, compared to 31,000 Audi A4s and 30,000 VW Passats.

The new Insight will star in Switzerland ahead of its launch here in April. The five-door is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor, and will go head-to-head with Toyota’s new Prius.

Meanwhile, the CR-Z concept previews what will become the first sports hybrid to go into mainstream production. It’s due on sale here early next year.