After around four decades on New Zealand roads, the humble Honda Accord is set to disappear from the Japanese manufacturer's local line-up.
Honda New Zealand confirmed the news to Driven, acknowledging that the V6-powered Accord NT (New Technology) model that we last tested in late 2016 was the country's last.
Read more: Honda Accord V6 road test — smooth operator with a throaty roar
Photo / Ted Baghurst
The Accord is the second sedan to be erased from the local market this month, following the sad-but-expected axing of the Holden ZB Commodore. Both nameplates have a long, established lineage in New Zealand having both arrived here in the late '70s and early '80s.
The difference between the two is that while the Commodore is set to disappear on both sides of the Tasman at the end of 2020, the Accord will continue to be offered in Australia.
The all-new Accord [pictured in lead image] has just debuted there, and is offered with either a turbocharged 140kW/260Nm 1.5-litre petrol engine or a dual-electric-motor hybrid unit making 158kW/315Nm. By all early accounts it sets a new benchmark for the nameplate, which makes it a shame that it isn't coming here.
Sadly, its absence from the New Zealand market is a sign of the times as more and more new-car buyers shift towards utes and SUVs. At the vehicle's launch, Honda Australia even acknowledged that it will struggle to sell competitively.
With the Commodore and Accord both gone, the Toyota Camry now sits as the segment leader in terms of sales. The Mazda6, Kia Optima (and Stinger), Hyundai Sonata, Ford Mondeo, and Subaru Legacy are among the few remaining medium/large sedan offerings outside of the premium and EV market.
The possible savior for sedans could be EVs. They remain more aerodynamic than SUVs, and remain the favoured body-style for Tesla and electrified vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq.
There's also hope that millennial buyers may swing towards sedans in the long run. An early 2019 study in the US (somewhat ironically) named the Honda Accord as the most inquired vehicle among people aged 22–37 that were seeking insurance quotes.
To view Honda vehicles listed for sale on Driven, click here