The Honda Accord will not be replaced in Europe when the current model series ends.
The decision by Honda comes after the midsize saloon failed to make headway against German rivals, according to an Automotive News Europe interview.
“We are running out the Accord and we will not return to the segment,” Leon Brannan, Honda’s UK car division’s boss, told Automotive News Europe.
Honda has struggled to sell the Accord in a segment where even the most popular mass-market models such as the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeoare losing sales to premium rivals such as the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C class.
Brannan said the midsize segment is dominated by corporate sales to the premium German brands which also do very well second hand so residual values are also higher than with the Accord.
It started production at Swindon in 1992 and was switched to Japan in 2000 but the collapse of the YEN made it very expensive to export to Europe and the dealers were left with little room for discounting as buyer incentives.
Honda saw a 5% drop in European sales last year but the Accord collapsed 19%.
