Honda Siel Cars to launch Accord V6 next week

Japanese car-maker Honda Siel will launch an advanced version of its premium sedan 'Accord V6' in the Indian market next week and it is likely to be priced at about Rs 25 lakh.

"We are ready with our new Accord V6 and it will be launched by next week," Honda Siel Cars India President and CEO Masahiro Takedahawa told PTI.

The new Accord V6 would come with a 3.5 litre engine, generating 280 horsepower (hp), he added.

Asked how the car would be priced in the Indian market, Takedahawa said: "I cannot say it specifically now, but looking at the specifications of the car, I expect this to be priced at around Rs 25 lakh."

The existing Accord comes with a 2.4 litre engine that generates 180 hp. The price of the car starts at Rs 16.72 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The company has already announced plans to launch its premium hatchback 'Jazz' in the country by mid-2009. The car would have a 1.2 litre engine, specifically meant for Indian regulations to avail 12.5 per cent tax rebate.

The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Siel Group, has, hiwver, put on hold opening of its second manufacturing facility in Rajasthan due to economic slowdown, besides cutting production by over 45 per cent from the beginning of the year.