Honda Thailand To Introduce 10th-Gen Accord In Q1 2019 – Hybrid To Follow

The tenth-generation Honda Accord Hybrid will be the first Honda model to be introduced under the Thai government’s hybrid car incentive scheme.

In an article by The Bangkok Post, Chief operating officer Pitak Pruittisarikorn has confirmed that the introduction of the Accord Hybrid will follow after the launch of the petrol-powered models in Q1 2019, to take advantage of the acquired government incentives for hybrid-electric vehicles.

On July 25th, Honda Thailand secured government incentives worth THB 5.82 billion for hybrid-electric vehicles, which is under the purview of the country’s Board of Investment (BoI). Honda plans to leverage the incentives over its two plant operations in Ayutthaya and Prachin Buri.

The announcement comes shortly after Honda Thailand previewed two 10th-generation Accord models at last month’s Thailand International Motor Expo 2018, one of which was a hybrid variant.

The Accord Hybrid is powered by Honda's innovative two-motor hybrid powertrain, which pairs a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4 engine to an electric motor and generator combo that produces 315 Nm of torque and combined system output of 212 hp. The Accord Hybrid’s two-motor system operates without the need for a conventional automatic transmission.

The Accord Hybrid's powertrain shifts between three distinct drive operations: EV Drive (100 percent electric motor), Hybrid Drive (electric motor and gasoline engine driving the generator motor) and Engine Drive (petrol engine): utilizes power from the engine and electric motors to accommodate the current driving conditions.