PRICES for the new Honda Accord which goes on sale on October 1 will run from £15,295 to £20,895 with the manufacturer pledging a no-holds-barred pitch for an increased share of Britain's most keenly-fought fleet sector. The company claims its next-generation line-up of upper medium sector cars from Swindon will boast a superior blend of comfort and safety equipment as well as carrying prices which undercut key rival saloons from Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

Air conditioning, anti-lock brakes and twin front and side airbags become standard across the five-car line-up of S, LS and ES models with sequential sports shift automatic transmission £1,000 range option. Higher-efficiency VTEC engines offering more power with better economy are a key feature of the new cars, which dispense with the L-series Rover 2.0-litre turbodiesel option offered in the outgoing line-up.

The VTEC layout is credited with a 6% improvement in official economy figures for the combined cycle and the company is claiming a 12% improvement with the 2.0-litre in automatic form. Insurance costs are said to be lower - ABI ratings start at 8E - and the range gets higher service intervals.

The Accord will also be the first Honda UK model to come with a three-year warranty, a move Fleet NewsNet believes will be reflected across the rest of the company's product range in the near future. Pitched to be £325 cheaper than the Vauxhall Vectra, the entry-level Accord has five three-point seatbelts, keyless entry, an alarm /immobiliser, power mirrors, heat-absorbing green glass, an RDS stereo radio/cassette, seat height adjustment, power front windows and wood trim on the dashboard.