The Accord has been Honda’s (HMC, Financial) top-selling car in the U.S. market, helping the carmaker give Toyota (TM, Financial) Camry a tough run for its money. The Accord has evolved over the years, and with every passing year the popularity of the car has gone up. Honda has continued to give the Accord a regular facelift to suit the tastes of the buyers. However, as far as the styling is concerned, the carmaker sticks to the basics since that has worked for the company all these years. The 2015 Accord, however, proves that mid-size sedans may not be actually boring.
Accord – Honda’s recipe to success
The Accord is an extremely important car for Honda in the American market. It is that car which displaced the Camry from the top position. And the latest Honda revamp is particularly important for the company to pep up sales in the U.S. where the automaker is currently witnessing falling sales. Honda’s sales so far in this year have been dwindling, but the strength in the Accord sales is somewhat compensating for the weakness in sales of other models. The first quarter Honda U.S. sales were dismal, down 5% compared with last year. However, sales have picked up in the later months barring June and July.
A comparative chart showing Honda sales in the U.S., Date from goodcarbadcar
In 2013, the Accord made for around 24% of Honda’s total deliveries in the U.S. In August, Honda sold more than 51,000 Accords, which is a record monthly sales figure for the company. On the other hand, Toyota sold approximately 44,000 Camrys in August. Though Accord sales in the first three months of the year were down more than 10%, it gradually picked up over the next months. To revive sales number of the 2014 Accord, Honda gave huge incentives to boost retail sales. Following Honda, it competitors including Ford (F, Financial) and Nissan (NSANY, Financial) also tried to drive their sales by giving huge discounts. However, Honda gave a much as thrice the discount amount it has given in the year ago period. Honda’s discount of $2,013 was still lower than the discount of around $2,300 given on Fusion and Altima.
As a result of the promotion and incentive August and September were bumper months, recording stunning sales gain of 32% and 31% respectively.
A comparative chart showing Honda Accord sales in the U.S., Date from goodcarbadcar
The 2015 Accord can take Honda higher
As the mid-size segment is crowding up with players and competition is heating up with the likes of Ford, General Motors, Nissan, and Hyundai, it’s time for Honda to introduce the newer version that can appeal to more buyers. Camry remains a tough competitor for the Accord, and so Honda’s pushing hard to get a clear edge over its peers. Can the 2015 Honda Accord revive Honda’s dwindling U.S. sales?
The Accord stands out in the mid-size sedan segment among other cars, thanks to the brilliant suspension, amazing fuel economy and overall high performance. The car gives an outstanding mileage of 24 mpg in city and 34 mpg in highway. The exterior of the car is restrained and the interior curves are subdued, giving the car a composed look. But one thing that strikingly comes out when on the driving seat – the amazing driving comfort and experience. The car is a perfect one for buyers looking for a family sedan. It strikes a perfect balance between great comfort and safety. There’s no doubt that Americans have a soft corner for the Accord, given that there are only three favorite cars, namely Camry, Taurus and Accord, in this segment. All these vehicles compete in the same segment, targeting same customers, but the 2015 Accord is ahead of the other two cars by quite a decent margin.
Refurbishing the Accord will help the company bolster its sales in the American market and ensure that it fights competition effectively. Though options are increasing in the mid-size sedan market, Honda’s doing all that’s required to stay ahead of others.
