Honda trades hybrid for a diesel in the Accord

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I was never a big fan of the Accord hybrid. It was more whoosh than about saving fuel. The mileage numbers weren't much of an improvement over a regular V-6 Accord for the $4000 surcharge.

I am excited about Honda's new diesel power plant for the Accord, slated to officially replace the hybrid. Honda will continue to use it's hybrid power for smaller engine displacement models like the Civic and Fit.

The engine is likely to be a 2.2 - 2.4L unit that gets 45 mpg on the highway. The ultra-clean four-cylinder will be capable of meeting California's strict Tier II / Bin 5 standards, which are the toughest diesel emissions standards in the world. The horsepower won't likely match the gasoline V-6, but torque (a real-world measure of get up and go useful power) will likely be very rewarding to drive.

The diesel will position Honda with a high mpgl vehicle not tapped into by Toyota (their hybrid competitor) in the North American market and comes at a time with diesel fuel is below the cost of gasoline. Add proven long service life, traditionally enjoyed by diesel power plants, and you have a niche market only tapped by higher end (more expensive) cars Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.

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This page contains a single entry by Paul Kuehnel published on June 4, 2007 6:43 PM.

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