Honda has said that its Accord midsize car will be offered only with four-cylinder or gas-electric hybrid engines when an all-new version comes out later this year.
The company said the smaller engines are sufficient for what its customers want. Only 14 per cent of buyers in 2016 bought V6 Accords.
Honda's move away from the V6 is part of a trend toward replacing larger engines with turbocharged smaller ones that can nearly match V6 power. Chevrolet, Hyundai and others already have eliminated V6 options in their midsize cars.
Honda released some details of the 2018 Accord on Friday. The car will come standard with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a more powerful 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. A hybrid powertrain is optional. The smaller engine will get a continuously variable transmission, while the larger one will get a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Manual transmissions also are available.
The 1.5-liter turbo engine already is in the smaller Honda Civic, where it produces 127kW and achieves 6L/100km.
Honda said the new design has a more aggressive stance than previous Accords, although the company only released pictures of the car in camouflage.
Power, pricing, fuel economy and other details will be announced closer to when the car hits showrooms in the US later this year.
-AP