I love the new Accord!
As a long-time Honda fan – there are tears in my eyes – truly one of the greatest auto manufacturers of the modern era is slowly returning back to form.
Sure the lovely Honda designs from the 80’s to early 2000 are a thing of the past – but this Accord looks great.
Just compare how bland the all-new Toyota Camry looks and this is just the kind of differentiation, the Accord would need in India.
The interiors look great and if the new CR-V is anything to go by – then there will be no complaints with the new Accord interiors – the previous Accord was terribly tacky, in comparison.
If priced at around 35 Lakh on-road in India and around 45 for hybrid it could seriously disrupt the Lexus ES300.
Here’s what - Jeff Conrad, Senior Vice President, Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co – had to say at the debut.
“For 41 years and nine generations, Accord has set the standard for passenger cars in America. A perennial top seller and 31-time recipient of Car and Driver's10Best award, Accord has consistently been the car to beat. And with cumulative sales of more than 13 million Accords, it means our customers have purchased roughly one Accord every two minutes for the past 41 years. That makes Accord the best-selling car in America since it was introduced… the very definition of enduring success.”
“In Sport trim, the new 2.0-liter turbo can be equipped with a 6-speed manual. Enthusiasts out there have been asking us to 'save the manuals' and with cars like the Civic Hatch, Si, Type R and now this new Accord, we're doing just that!”
Other points
New body structure is lighter and more rigid, utilizing 29 percent ultra-high-strength steel, the highest in any current mass-produced Honda car. Overall, the new Accord employs 54.2 percent high strength steel (above 440 MPa).
Total vehicle weight down by approx 110 to 176 pounds, depending on trim.
Body torsional and bending rigidity are improved by 32 and 24 percent, respectively, aiding ride quality, cabin quietness, and dynamic performance.
10 mm lower center of gravity for new Accord and adoption of lighter-weight turbocharged engines and other body design changes reduce the vehicle's moment of inertia, resulting in crisper turn-in and steering response.
All models now have near optimal FWD weight distribution of approximately 60/40 (front/rear).
3 new engines, including two new turbos – the first-ever turbocharged engines for Accord.
The new 1.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC) produces a peak 192 HP at 5,500 rpm and 192 lb-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 5,000 rpm. An increase from 185 HP at 6,400 rpm and 181 lb.-ft. at 3,900 rpm on the existing, normally aspirated 2.4-liter model. New 1.5-liter turbo is mated to a CVT or, in Sport trim, to a CVT or a 6-speed manual transmission (6MT).
New 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with i-VTEC paired with a 10-speed automatic or, in Sport trim, to the 10AT or an available 6MT. It produces 252 HP at 6,500 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm, compared to 278 HP at 6,200 rpm and 252 lb.-ft. at 4,900 rpm for the 3.5-liter V6 that it replaces. The 2.0 engine shares much of its design with the race-bred 2017 Civic Type R.
The redesigned CVT has an 11 percent lower ratio compared to the current version for more powerful launch performance, while the new 10AT is 22 lbs. lighter, has a 68 percent wider overall ratio range with a 43 percent lower first gear, and a 17 percent taller top gear compared to the current Accord's six-speed automatic.
3rd engine option is an even more efficient 2-liter Atkinson cycle engine with the next generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid system, which delivers with greater than 40 percent thermal efficiency, the highest for any mass-produced Honda engine, paired with Honda-developed electric motors that are the first drive motors in the world to use magnets containing no heavy rare-earth metals.
The all-new battery pack relocated under the floor – beneath the rear seat instead of behind it. The new Hybrid has the same cargo-carrying flexibility of the gas models with 60/40-split and folding second row seats.
For the first time, all new Accords will feature an Adaptive Damper System with the ability to adjust shock absorber damping force every 1/500 of a second, providing for a more compliant and controlled ride in all driving situations.
All-new HMI that includes an ultra-slim 7-inch TFT driver's meter and a new 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface with physical volume and tuning knobs and more intuitive, smartphone-like features and functionality including customizable app tiles and home-screen shortcuts, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
A new 6-inch driver's Head Up Display with selectable information, including speed, engine rpm, turn-by-turn navigation, and Traffic Sign Recognition. Additional new or improved connected-car technologies include wireless device charging, automatic Bluetooth phone pairing with Near Field Communication technology, 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi-enabled over-the-air system updates.
Standard advanced active and passive safety systems include Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control, Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), advanced front airbags, driver and front-passenger side airbags and new driver and front-passenger knee airbags.
9-lamp full-LED headlights and LED fog lights on top-spec versions.
A new laser brazing process that joins the dramatically arching roof to the body side panels creates a clean appearance with no garnish over the rain channels.
(Info and pics from Honda website)