“The new 8th Generation model offers an image, style, features and technology that truly meet the expectations of our customers of a luxury performance sedan,” he explained.

Well, as it turns out, the forecast was off the mark because within just the first month the model went on sale, 5,194 orders were received (as of May 25 2008) which means 70% of the target has already been met. In fact, when the new model was launched, there were already 2,200 orders but Mr Fujimoto had attributed that to initial enthusiasm by customers.

“We are very pleased and encouraged by the overwhelming response at such an early stage,” said Mr. Fujimoto who revealed that the 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre versions were roughly equal in demand. Earlier, at launch time, he said the company felt the 2.0-litre version would be slightly more popular. The most popular colour choice has been the Metallic Polished Metal which is a new colour for the Accord.

A third version with an advanced 3.5-litre V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management is also available but with the RM249,800 pricetag, it is not expected to be sold in significant numbers so it is imported as a CBU model from Thailand.

In anticipation of stronger demand for Honda cars this year, Honda Malaysia had earlier increased the output from its plant in Melaka to 30,000 units, 5,000 more than what was achieved in 2007.  “With such overwhelming response for the all-new Accord, we are now preparing to increase our production capacity so more in order to shorten the waiting period for customers who have already made their bookings,” he added.

The final venue for the new Honda Accord Roadshow will be at MidValley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur from June 11 to 15 2008.

To locate a dealer for a test-drive or to know more, visit the official Honda Accord website or call 1-800-88-2020

Read our report on the new Honda Accord here

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