Honda Accord Euro 2008 News

The last call is about to go out for Honda Accord Euro orders. The car has just been killed off, despite its popularity here.The Accord Euro succumbed because of global demand for the wide-body Accord that's more like a Toyota Camry and a winner in the US heartland.Nearly 75,000 Accord Euros have been delivered in Australia over the past 12 years, a result that handily trumps the sibling locally. Fans expected its popularity would mean a new-generation car in 2015 but it's not enough to save the car.The bad news has just arrived from Japan after a worldwide tally of the third-generation Accord Euro.Honda Australia director Stephen Collins says: "It was a global decision to discontinue the model. The car is not sold in the US, not sold in Japan. The lead market was Europe but sales have been declining there." "There is no doubt it's been a success for us. For three years in a row we sold more than 10,000. We were a reasonable market, but not big enough. We're disappointed, obviously. But the global decision was based on the decline in Europe." Honda Australia has locked its final production slot for the start of next year, which means its dealers are taking orders for cars that will be delivered until the middle of 2015.The Euro arrived in 2003 as part of a new wave of Japanese cars, including the Subaru Liberty, which were much more European in the way they looked and drove.The idea was to launch a full-scale attack in the soft underbelly of European prestige brands including Audi and BMW, but the global financial crisis hit and the Japanese makers retreated, and now the Europeans have their own generation of price-competitive compacts."We introduced it in 2003. During the same period we've sold 52,000 wide-body Accords. The best year was 2005, when we sold 10,500 cars," Collins says. He is not expecting a surge in the car's final months, says there no special run-out edition plan, and expects the price to stay at $30,340.The loss of the Euro is another blow for Honda Australia, whose sales have been in retreat this year. "We re going to end up around 33,000 this year. That's clearly down on last year but we're having a much stronger second half to the year," Collins says."Next year, we're hoping for close to 40,000. That will be led by HR-V and we want to be one of the main players in that small SUV segment."

It would have been so easy for the Blue Oval team to drop the bundle as they worked towards producing a new car for a segment that was shrinking daily before their eyes.

Honda's clean-sheet approach created a bigger, brighter and more refined prestige family sedan that is strong on safety, comfort and quality.

Plans are moving ahead to include an oil-burner in the new Honda Euro Accord range. Unlike most of its competitors, Honda has not developed an automatic transmission package for its diesel engines, something that has been a roadblock in any decision to bring a Honda-badged diesel to Australia ... until now.“I think if diesel does come to Australia in a Honda it will come in manual transmission,” says Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley. He is not underplaying the difficulty Honda Australia will have in getting the high-tech 2.2 i-DTEC diesel Accord Euro for Australia but with the acceptance of the manual transmission issue, the other hurdles can be overcome.“We would love to have that car with the Honda super-clean diesel technology but there is limited supply and limited capacity to make those engines and Honda Motor is concentrating on the European market where diesel is king,” he says.“I am sure that once that demand is satisfied and once production increases we will have a good chance at getting them for Australia.”In 2006, Honda brought a British Accord diesel with a manual gearbox to Australia for testing.Smalley says there is less chance the diesel version of the CR-V will make it to Australia.“That car is made at the Swindon plant (in England) and bringing cars out of the UK is clearly much more expensive than out of Japan or Thailand,” Smalley says.Of more concern to Smalley is the likelihood that one of the hero cars of the new Euro range, the stylish Tourer or wagon, will not make it to Australia because of a design oversight.“We would be very keen to take the Tourer as a real branding statement and that would lift the prestige standing of the whole Honda brand but the vehicle in its current form does not comply with Australian design rules,” he says.“The issue is rear seatbelt anchor points.”The car has two rear child anchor points fitted to the seat squab, which happens to be the European standard.“For Australia, however, we would need three anchor points fitted to the roof or right back near the tailgate. With investment and time it could be solved but whether it is a particularly pressing global priority for Honda ...”The new Euro will be on sale in Australia in June, initially with a single 2.4-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine coupled to a five-speed automatic to compete with the Mazda6, Subaru Liberty as well as the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata. 

In Europe, it comes with 2-litre and 2.4-litre petrol engines or Honda's new 2.2 i-DTEC diesel. Australians have to make do with the 2.4.Honda Australia is pushing hard for the inclusion of the wagon for the local line-up. But even if it did appear it could trail the sedan version by at least 12 months.This is the eighth generation of the Accord (the first came to Australia in 1976), and with 16 million sold since, it has become a core model for Honda.It is one of the few Honda passenger cars manufactured in Japan since the company built factories in Thailand. Jazz, Accord V6 and CR-V are built in Thailand.The Accord Euro, which is only available with a four-cylinder engine to differentiate it from the bigger V6 Accord, has a higher level of features and safety over the current model.It comes standard with safety equipment including a new electronic stability control linked to the car's steering system, which helps the driver steer safely in demanding conditions.Options will include lane-keeping assistance (which alerts the driver when the car starts to move out of its lane); adaptive cruise control and a collision mitigation brake system to warn the driver of a possible accident and prepare the brakes for an emergency stop.The new Euro is bigger than its predecessor to boost cabin room. In styling, it is an evolution of the current model and shares some styling clues with its main rival, the Mazda6, which was also released as a new model.The Australian 150kW, 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine version drives either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic with steering-wheel paddle shifters.No prices have been announced ahead of its local launch, because the Mazda6 was released last month at an unexpectedly low price and it appears Honda will have to follow suit. Only a minor price increase over the existing model is expected.Meanwhile, Honda has announced an additional hybrid sedan and the fast-tracking of its stunning fuel-cell car to production. Honda president Takeo Fukui said a “dedicated” hybrid would go on sale in 2009 to support the existing Civic Hybrid.This new car is smaller and is expected to cost about two-thirds of the Civic price, making it the cheapest hybrid on offer in Australia.This sedan is confirmed for production but the news is slightly more blurred about Honda's cute CR-Z sports coupe that is also slated for a hybrid powerplant.The CR-Z, a successor to the popular CR-X of the mid-1990s, was first shown at last year's Tokyo motor show.Better news for Honda's medium-sized fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, which goes on sale in the US in June and in Japan in October. The FCX theoretically has a market in Australia, although Honda Australia spokesman Mark Higgins said an immature infrastructure for hydrogen would delay local sales.The FCX will be the first fuel-cell car to reach the global market though it is being hotly pursued by other manufacturers.Honda also released details of a sophisticated, low-emission 2.2-litre diesel called the i-DTEC. This engine will appear first in the European-spec Accord but won't come to Australia for at least two years.

A hectic 2007 proved to be lucrative for the car industry with a plethora of new cars launched and more than a million sales throughout the year. And there's no indication that it will be slowing down in 2008.AUDI The new A4, to rival the 3 Series and C-Class is expected here about April, while July will see the hot sports wagon, the RS6 Avant and the A3 Cabrio. Extra A5 variants will follow. BMWBMW has a busy year ahead, starting with the 320d and 335i touring this month. The 1 Series Coupe will go on sale around April, followed by the convertible in May-June. But its big one for the year will be the new X6 Sports Activity Coupe, arriving between July and September. It comes with three engine variants, all twin-turbo, an in-line six, a 3.0-litre diesel and a 300kW 4.4-litre V8. Pricing is expected to start at just under $100,000. And the X5 scores a new engine in February, with the first variable twin turbo diesel offered in the range. CHRYSLER/JEEPJanuary will be a busy month for Chrysler, with the Sebring Cabrio and Grand Voyager people mover both arriving in Australia. The Jeep Cherokee will also get a total makeover. CITROENBased on the C4 Picasso, but bigger and better equipped, Citroen will introduce the Berlingo van between July and September, with a mainly diesel range. This will make room in the line-up for the new Nemo small van mid-year. The C5 will also get a new V6 diesel engine.FERRARIDeliveries of the exquisite F430 Scuderia, priced at about $550,000, will start mid year. Only about 40 will come to Australia and New Zealand. FIAT The reincarnation of the 1960s Bambino will arrive in March, but Fiat has already sold the first four months' supply. The new Fiat 500 will have three engine choices, a 1.2-litre petrol, a 75kW 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 56kW 1.3-litre turbo diesel. Pricing is expected to start from $22,000. The new Ritmo will join the Fiat 500 in March with pricing from $30,000. FORD One of the biggest launches for the year will be the new Falcon. Ford will release details of the new model in February and it's expected to be followed by an unveiling at the Melbourne motor show in the same month, with the official launch around May.FPV FPV will start the year with a new model, the hot turbo Territory, known as the F6 X model. It's the first non-Falcon model from FPV, with 270kW and 550Nm. The FPV Falcon range will also arrive this year. HOLDEN/CADILLACWith Ford's big year planned, you can't expect Holden to keep quiet. But so far, Holden has only announced it is expecting the VE Sportwagon, due in the first half of the year. GM-Holden is also introducing Cadillac with the first model due late in 2008. HONDA Honda will start the year with the new Accord model, due to be launched in February. The small Jazz is also getting an update after the middle of the year. Details on the new generation will be released closer to the launch. The Accord Euro is also expected to arrive later this year. HYUNDAI No big launches just yet, although an upgraded Sonata is expected mid year. JAGUARJaguar's major release for the year will be the new XF in June, with pricing expected to start from $105,000. It will be available in a V6 diesel, as well as a V6 and V8 petrol. KIAPreviewed at the Sydney motor show last year, Kia will launch its new seven-seater Rondo crossover in February. It is expected to start from as low as the mid-$20,000 mark. LEXUSNew for Lexus will be the LX570 around April or May, followed by the IS-F towards the end of the year. Details still to come. MAZDAThe second-generation Mazda6 will go on sale at the end of February with pricing from less than $30,000. It will be powered by a 2.5-litre, four cylinder engine, with 125kW and 226Nm.MERCEDES-BENZThe first arrival for Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the C 63 AMG in mid March. It will be followed by the S 320CDI, priced at $189,874 and the C-Class wagon, which will carry a $3000 premium over the sedan, coming in just under $60,000. MINIAnother new version of a 1960s cult car is also headed our way, with the Mini Clubman launched in February. The modern successor of the Morris Mini Traveller, the Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate won't get into showrooms until March or April. Pricing will start in the mid-$30,000 area. MITSUBISHIMitsubishi will release two turbocharged Lancers this year. The top-level Lancer Evo X GSR will be here in April and sell for about $58,000. The 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo engine pumps out 200kW and 422Nm. Joining it will be the detuned version in the Ralliart all-wheel drive, at about $40,000. NISSANNissan's first addition for the year will be the all-wheel-drive wagon, the Dualis. Starting at $28,990 and stretching to $35,990, it's powered by a 102kW, 2.0-litre engine. PEUGEOTThe big launch for Peugeot will be the 308 replacing the 307 range, which will start with the 308 hatch in February in both petrol and diesel guises. The touring will follow in June or July, with the 308cc model a prospect for late 2008 or early 2009. PROTONProton has announced the Persona, based on the Gen2 hatch platform, will make its debut at the Melbourne motor show in late February, going on sale in March. It will be priced around the mid-teens. The Gen2 will also get engine updates and minor styling changes. RENAULTThe all-new Laguna will go on sale mid-year with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. SAABJune sees the arrival of the Turbo X AWD. SSANGYONGThe South Korean company will go completely diesel in 2008, with no more petrol engines on offer in Australia. SMARTThe new Fortwo arrives in Australia in February. The one-model brand will get both the 52kW and 62kW models, in hatch and cabrio, being bigger than the current models. SUBARUThe star WRX STi comes in February with a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine, although pricing is still to come. The third generation Forester arrives in March. SUZUKIFebruary's proving to be a busy month, with Suzuki also launching its Grand Vitara diesel. TOYOTAAfter a big year in 2007, Toyota is expecting a quiet year, with only the TRD Hilux due to be launched in April-June. VOLKSWAGENVolkswagen will kick off the year with the SUV, the Touareg R50, to be released in April. It's powered by a 258kW V10 TDI engine. The Tiguan also arrives about October.  VOLVOThe recently launched XC70 arrives in showrooms this month, joined by the C30 diesel also in January. It's priced at $43,950. A base model C30 will also enter the line-up, at $34,450. A 3.0-litre six-cylinder engined V70 will arrive in March.