Honda Australia's new Thai-built Accord V6, to be launched on 29th February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, promises "three engines under one bonnet" and will change the perception that powerful V6 cars are fuel guzzlers.

The new 3.5-litre, V6 Accord engine features Honda's Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), allowing the car to run on six, four or three cylinders depending on road speed and load conditions.

The VCM engine runs with the full six cylinders during acceleration or under high load, then switches to four or three cylinders for cruising or low-speed running.

The major benefits of the VCM include greater fuel economy and lower emissions and the system can change between cylinder modes seamlessly and is said to be unnoticeable to the driver when a change occurs.

Accord customers in the USA, where it is established as a family sedans, report their V6-powered Accords achieve four-cylinder-like fuel consumption.

The new Accord is already winning praise in the USA for its impressive room and comfort - with rear seat room in the same class as large six-cylinder Australian family cars - and the high level of fit and finish expected of a Honda, despite its third world origins.