Photo: Honda
"For I did not speak of my own accord" – says the Bible (John 12:49a). Yet despite being endorsed by the most powerful figure of our religion, Jesus Christ, Honda's sedan isn't selling all that well in Europe, so much so that they're going to stop offering it.
A Honda executive has confirmed that the Euro-spec Honda Accord will be killed in 2015 without a replacement being planned. The current generation is the eight one, and having been launched in 2008, it could be coming to the end of its life next year.
“February next year will be the final month of production for Australia. The fact is that because the Euro was not sold in the US at all. the lead market was primarily Europe and that segment is declining, so ultimately that led to this global decision,” Honda Australia director Stephen Collins told local magazine The Motor Report.
Analysts predict that midsize sedan and estate sales could fall to just 550,000 in Western Europe this year, down significantly from the 800,000 achieved in 2011, a particularly bad year for auto sales.
We've asked many potential buyers why they'd pick a German or even a French car over the Accord and most agree there's a problem with the pricing. Just like with the Jazz, Japanese imports from the Sayama factory end up being more expensive than Passats and Mondeos equivalents, which are better suited to their tastes in any case.
The Passat leads first-half 2014 sales in Europe with 79,000 sales, down slightly from the previous year. It's followed by the Insignia, which jumped 35% in demand to over 51,000 thanks to a comprehensive refresh, the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Superb and Peugeot 508, all with around 25,000 sales.
As you can see, Honda's Accord isn't even among the top 5 models, so keeping it around is a bad idea. However, the sexy lines of the Accord and its American cousin, the Acura TSX, will surely be missed.
“February next year will be the final month of production for Australia. The fact is that because the Euro was not sold in the US at all. the lead market was primarily Europe and that segment is declining, so ultimately that led to this global decision,” Honda Australia director Stephen Collins told local magazine The Motor Report.
The upside
The end of the Euro Accord is not all bad news. Australia will now offer the American version, which is wider and could be more appealing to local buyers anyway. The Russians might get a locally assembled US-spec car, as they did with the Toyota Camry, which could also be sold in neighboring models. For a while at least, the Accord will live on in China, where it's sold under the name "Spirior".A fundamental flaw in the European midsize sedan market
Midsize sedans are the most popular vehicles after pickups in America, with Honda and Toyota doing especially well. However, even the most popular European equivalents have been struggling due to growing popularity of similarly sized or priced models premium models from BMW, Audi and Mercedes.Analysts predict that midsize sedan and estate sales could fall to just 550,000 in Western Europe this year, down significantly from the 800,000 achieved in 2011, a particularly bad year for auto sales.
We've asked many potential buyers why they'd pick a German or even a French car over the Accord and most agree there's a problem with the pricing. Just like with the Jazz, Japanese imports from the Sayama factory end up being more expensive than Passats and Mondeos equivalents, which are better suited to their tastes in any case.
The Passat leads first-half 2014 sales in Europe with 79,000 sales, down slightly from the previous year. It's followed by the Insignia, which jumped 35% in demand to over 51,000 thanks to a comprehensive refresh, the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Superb and Peugeot 508, all with around 25,000 sales.
As you can see, Honda's Accord isn't even among the top 5 models, so keeping it around is a bad idea. However, the sexy lines of the Accord and its American cousin, the Acura TSX, will surely be missed.
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