HONDA has announced the pricing for its new five-door hatchback Accord, which it says will double its sales in the upper-medium sector. The five-door model, which goes on sale in September, will cost £150 more than the equivalent four-door model of the same specification.

And as the new model is unveiled Honda has also announced a new badging policy for the entire Accord range, with plans to scrap the 1.8 and 2.0 designations of engine size in favour of the VTEC badge, with a red 'T' indicating the 2.0-litre model. The rebadging will see the range made up of VTEC S, VTEC SE and VTEC SE Executive, which replace the former S, LS and ES badges. Plus from next month Honda is introducing a new trim level, the VTEC SE Sport, which will initially be available in four-door, followed by the launch of a five-door in September.

Available in 1.8 and 2.0-litre engine versions, with manual or sequential shift automatic transmissions, the Accord VTEC SE Sport has a mesh grille, seven-spoke alloy wheels, front and rear spoilers and side skirts, and an aluminium gear knob on the interior. This is in addition to the standard SE equipment of twin and side airbags, electric windows, ABS with EBD, remote central locking, sunroof, air conditioning and cruise control.

The VTEC SE Sport is to cost from £18,345 for the 1.8 four-door manual and £18,495 on-the-road for the 1.8 five-door manual, through to £19,895 for the 2.0 four-door automatic and £20,045 for the 2.0 five-door automatic. Honda says the launch of the five-door, coupled with the launch of the new model and rebadging, will result in its total Accord sales doubling in the upper medium sector to about 25,000 units per annum, with the majority purchased or leased by business users. Of this increase the new five-door is expected to account for about half of all Accord sales.