Honda has reintroduced the Accord nameplate in India and, this time, it is available in a hybrid avatar to take on its formidable rival, the Toyota Camry Hybrid
The Toyota Camry Hybrid enjoyed a monopoly for a long time since it was the sole hybrid offering in its segment. According to Toyota, the Camry Hybrid is a popular car and accounts for 90 per cent of the overall demand for the model. Now the Camry’s oldest competitor – the Honda Accord – is back and that too in a hybrid avatar. Let us see how these two Japanese hybrids stack up against each other on paper.
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Price (ex-showroom, New Delhi)
The Camry Hybrid clearly triumphs here since Toyota brought it via the CKD (completely knocked down) route, which allows it to benefit from the government's FAME policy (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electric vehicles). The Accord, on the other hand, being a CBU (completely built unit) import (from Thailand) is deprived of the FAME incentives, and subsequently attracts a hefty price tag. The Camry, for instance, gets a FAME incentive of Rs 70,000 as per government norms.
Mechanicals
As you can see in the above infographic, the Camry features a larger displacement (2.5 litre) and a slightly more powerful engine (15PS more) compared to the Accord’s (2.0 litre). However, the Honda scores over the Toyota with a more powerful electric motor (41PS more), which has resulted in an overall system output of 215PS, which is 10PS more than the latter. Also, with an engine that displaces less, the Accord manages to excel in terms of fuel efficiency with an ARAI-certified figure of 23.1kmpl opposed to the Camry’s 19.16kmpl.
Dimensions
Features
The Accord dominates the Camry in terms of features, both on the inside and the outside. At the outset, the Accord comes with all-LED lighting – headlights, fog lamps, daytime running lights, tail lamps – while the Camry offers twin-low-beam LED projectors with a halogen high-beam and LED graphics on the tail lamps. The Accord rides on massive 235/45 cross-section R18 tyres with diamond-cut alloys against the Camry's 215/55 cross-section R17 tyres.
Coming to the infotainment system, the Accord offers Honda’s latest seven-inch unit – HondaLink – that supports both Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto, along with other connectivity options. In terms of smartphone connectivity, the Camry just offers a Bluetooth-enabled infotainment system with regular connectivity options as well. And it offers a resistive-type touch as opposed to Honda’s capacitive-touch–based unit. The Honda also offers an additional 7.7-inch driver multi-information display which is placed above the infotainment system, while the Camry offers a relatively puny 4.2-inch display.
The Accord offers a remote engine start feature, which helps to pre-cool the cabin. Speaking of the rear-view camera, the Accord offers three different views – 130-degree, 180-degree and top-down – while the Camry just offers a rear-view camera with guidelines. The Accord comes with dual-zone air conditioning, while the Camry offers a three-zone unit. The Toyota Camry comes with individual rear seat recline feature, which is sorely missing in the Accord.
Safety
The Accord comes with six airbags, while the Camry offers a total of seven airbags, including an important driver knee airbag. The Accord Hybrid also offers ACL (active cornering lights), AVAS (acoustic vehicle alerting system), ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (electronic brake distribution) and brake assist, VSA (vehicle stability assist) with traction control, and HSA (hill start assist). The Camry is equipped with vehicle stability control, hill start assist control, ABS with EBD and brake assist, along with ECB (electronically controlled brake).
Recommended Reads: Honda Accord Hybrid: First Drive Review | Toyota Camry Hybrid (2015) - Expert Review
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