- Eighth-generation Honda Accord epitomises 30 years of excellence
- Sleek, sophisticated styling establishes the new Accord’s premium positioning
- Larger and more spacious, with optised chassis dynamics
- Choice of advanced 2,0-litre and 2,4-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder powerplants
- New quick-shifting five-speed automatic with shift paddles
The New Honda Accord has evolved over eight generations to emerge as one of Honda’s most trusted, most admired brand ambassadors. It matches a sleek, sophisticated shape to a sumptuous interior and poised, involving dynamics.
Visually, the new Honda Accord is a truly global car, expressing an international design language created at Honda’s design studios in Germany, Japan and the United States.
Available with a choice of 2,0-litre and 2,4-litre engines, coupled to either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic gearbox, the new Accord range delivers effortless performance and confident road manners.
EXTERIOR
Larger, wider and lower, with a head-turning presence and an athletic stance, this latest Accord sets lofty standards in the premium sedan category. The powerful front-end treatment features a bold grille with its prominent ‘H” logo, a longer, taller bonnet, and aggressively flared fenders.
The chiselled lines and sculpted contours, the muscular wheel arches and the tapered profile – all of these elements contribute to the new Accord’s athletic, dynamic stance. It’s a car that speaks of solid engineering, of rock-steady road holding, of taut, controlled responses.
The new Accord is a car that teases the eye, that invites attention, and rewards both driver and passengers with an utterly compelling, cosseting motoring experience.
While it is the largest, widest and most luxuriously appointed Accord ever, it is also 20 percent stiffer than before, thanks to an advanced body construction that uses 42 percent ultra high-tensile steel. And despite its more generous dimensions, the new Accord weighs only 5 percent more than its predecessor.
INTERIOR
The interior of the new Accord has all the hallmarks of a flagship sedan. It exudes a powerful sense of quality, thanks to the use of premium materials and finishes. The contemporary design prioritises smooth, sculpted surfaces and ample space to create an airy, inviting environment.
For the driver, Honda’s logical approach to instrument and switchgear design allows an operating environment that’s intuitive and unambiguous. All controls are logically arranged, the dials are clearly legible, and the driving position ergonomically efficient.
Seating comfort is equal for front and rear occupants – a fundamental design parameter that allows the Accord to provide exceptional levels of comfort. In terms of rear knee room, the Accord punches well above its class, rivalling much larger luxury sedans.
The sense of space extends to the new Honda Accord’s luggage compartment, which has a volume of 467 litres – significantly larger than that of its direct competitors.
Carefully contoured front seats provide exceptional support, while rear ventilation has been improved to further boost the well-being of rear occupants. Visibility from all seating positions is excellent, thanks to glass areas offering extended fields of vision.
Comprehensively equipped across the model range, the cabin spoils and indulges its occupants with a long list of standard features, while a high level of safety is provided by a full array of active and passive safety systems.
The array of passive safety equipment is comprehensive, ranging from front, side and curtain airbags to active front head restraints, and inertia reel seatbelts with front load limiters and pretensioners.
Key convenience features across all models include superior audio systems, standard Bluetooth hands-free telephone interfaces, a trip computer, a multifunction steering wheel, electrically operated seats, windows and mirrors, and standard leather upholstery.
POWER AND PERFORMANCE
The dynamic promise of the exterior styling and the sophistication of the cabin are linked to an involving, enjoyable driving experience.
The Accord 2.0 models employ a lean-burn, high-efficiency four-cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft and Honda’s latest i-VTEC variable valve timing. Highly efficient, tractable and responsive, the new unit is rated at 115 kW, with an associated torque peak of 192 Nm.
The six-speed manual version accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 9,3 seconds, and achieves a top speed of 215 km/h.
The two-litre engine’s efficiency pays handsome dividends in fuel economy terms. The new Accord 2,0 i-VTEC Manual sips unleaded petrol at a rate of 7,2 litres/100 km in the combined cycle and 5,9 litres/100 km for the extra urban cycle.
The Accord 2.4 i-VTEC Executive’s 2,4-litre powerplant has a rated power output of 148 kW, linked to a torque peak of 234 Nm – significantly more muscle than the previous version. Improved valve timing, a higher compression ratio and a new exhaust manifold are among the most telling changes.
Those figures translate into unmistakably sporty performance. Again, there is a choice of six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmissions. In manual trim, the Accord 2.4 Executive reaches 100 km/h from rest in 7,8 sec, and is capable of a 227 km/h top speed.
The combined cycle fuel consumption of the Executive is equally impressive, with the manual achieving 8,8 litres/100 km in the combined cycle and 7,0 litres/100 km in the extra urban cycle.
But straight-line figures only tell part of the Accord’s dynamic story. This is a car that’s been born to thrill and entertain the driver with an involving, enjoyable driving experience. Front double wishbones and a multilink rear design make for accurate, predictable and responsive road manners.
Large disc brakes front and rear, generous wheel and tyre combinations, and a host of dynamic safety aids such as latest-generation ABS anti-lock brake control, VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) and TSA (Trailer Stability Assist) provide a reassuring safety net.
Motion-adaptive EPS (Electronic Power Steering) employs the VSA sensors to recognise instability in slippery conditions, or when cornering or braking, and then initiates steering inputs aimed at regaining stability, allowing the driver to retain control.
CONCLUSION
The new Honda Accord ups the stakes in the premium car sector by offering space, luxury, safety, style, sophistication and performance in a single, compelling motoring package.
From its arresting design to its sophisticated technology, its premium-quality interior to its pure driving appeal, the new Accord is, quite simply, Honda’s best ever.
