Honda Malaysia has confirmed that it will not be launching the all-new 11th generation 2024 Honda Accord.

This is in response to the change in Malaysia’s competitive landscape for new cars, and increased preference among customers for SUVs like the Honda CR-V over traditional 3-box sedans like the Honda Accord.

The current, outgoing 10th generation Honda Accord will bow out from showrooms by the end of this year.

It will not only be the last Accord sold in Malaysia, putting an end to a nearly 50 years old nameplate, but also the last locally assembled D-segment sedan.

The Honda Accord is currently sold from RM 187,400 for the TC variant, and from RM 197,400 for the TC-P variant with Honda Sensing. Both variants are powered by the same 1.5-litre VTEC Turbo engine paired to a CVT-type automatic transmission, producing 201 PS and 260 Nm.

The Honda Accord is locally assembled in Pegoh, Melaka.

This also means that the Thailand-made Toyota Camry will be the sole mainstream D-segment sedan left, priced from RM 219,800.

The left-field Japan-made Mazda 6 is one to two generations behind the Accord-Camry duo, priced from RM 180,359 for the 2.0-litre variant and RM 240,848 for the 2.5-litre.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia has also discontinued the Passat earlier this year. Its position in the local range’s line-up has been filled by the more upscale Arteon.

For reasons we don't know, Honda Malaysia's business is very much a CKD-only one. Where possible, the company avoids imported (CBU) models, and the reduced volume of the Accord no longer justifies investments to locally assemble the next generation model.

In Honda Malaysia's 21 years in Malaysia, it has only launched three imported (CBU) models to date - the Civic Type R (Japan), Freed (Indonesia), and Odyssey (Japan). Out of these three, only the Civic Type R is still part of the local line-up (new generation FL5 model to launch in due time).

This probably explains why Honda Malaysia is not importing the Accord from Thailand, like what UMW Toyota Motor is currently doing for the Camry, or Honda in Indonesia, where the 11th generation Accord is making its regional debut.

Also read: Skipping Malaysia, all-new 2024 Honda Accord makes ASEAN debut in Indonesia with e:HEV RS variant