In addition to the base model, the Accent with power steering will cost Rs 6.10 lakh (ex-showroom) and the delux variant Accent GLS has been priced at Rs 6.37 lakh, making the price tag of the Accent highest in Mumbai as compared to other cities due to local sales taxes and Octroi. Accent will, however, face tough competition from Ford Motors of theUnited States which has announced to price its forthcoming mid-sized car `Ikon' at Rs 4.99 lakh, making it Rs 1.82 lakh cheaper than `Accent'. ``We can not compare Ford Ikon with the Accent as the US company has not made the technical specifications of the car public, '' said BVR Subbu, director, marketing & sales of HMIL. The Accent would also be costlier than Fiat Siena but cheaper than Mitsubishi Lancer.

The company also plans to bring in the diesel version and automatic transmission version of the Accent ``depending on the market conditions,'' Subbu said. The company has notched up sales of over 50,000 Santros in the last 12 months, making it one of the most successful foreign car makers in India. In the next year, HMIL plans to sell about 80,000 passenger cars by utilising the maximum capacity of its Chennai plant.