Honda has began mass producing its 2013 model year of the Honda Accord, the automaker's flagship sedan that has been assembled at the company's Marysville plant for the past 30 years.
"Many people doubted Honda in the last few years," Honda of America CEO Hide Iwata told a group of workers and visitors at the launch. "Many wondered if we would overcome the many challenges."
According to the Associated Press, the new Accord is more fuel efficient than previous models, giving consumers more miles to the gallon. Specific details, such as the pricing and specific mileage rating, have not been released. Honda is targeting this model of the Accord to a more middle class sector of perspective buyers and will be comparable to the 2012 model, which starts at $21,480.
The 2013 Accord will go on sale at U.S. dealerships next month. To date, the 2012 version of the Accord is the second-biggest-selling car in the United States so far this year, behind the Toyota Motor Corp Camry.
Honda hopes that the full makeover of the Accord will help it keep pace or outsell the likes of the Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata.
In terms of features, the 2013 Accord has a more sculpted exterior, in auto industry speak, and though most details about its interior remain under wraps, the company made public a few of the technological elements, including a standard-feature Bluetooth phone interface, Pandora Internet radio and a variety of voice controls.
The car is also considerably safer to its predecessors. It includes a driver's view mirror, lane shift warning and front collision warning systems and a blind-spot camera mounted in the sideview mirror and activated by using the turn signal.
In a separate report also released on Tuesday, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, said the 1994 Honda Accord - which is still fairly popular and lacks any significant security features - was stolen more than any other vehicle in 2011. The 1998 Honda Civic came in second place.
