Honda Accord


Debut: 2012
Maker: Honda
Predecessor: Accord Mk8 (America)



 Published on 10 Oct 2012 All rights reserved. 


The new, 9th generation Honda Accord marks a return to unified breed. 3 generations ago, Honda differentiated Accord into three distinct versions – America, Japan and Europe – to satisfy the needs of different markets. Unfortunately, the ambitious strategy arrived at the wrong time, i.e. just when the mid-size car segments in Japan and Europe started falling like a roller coaster. Family car buyers migrated to smaller hatchbacks, small MPVs, CUVs and ever-expanding premium brands, and this trend is not going to stop any time soon. As a result, it is no longer profitable to build the JDM and Euro Accord. Top management decided to pull the plug and concentrate on the American version. After all, they are convinced that the American version is already a global car since it is available to China, Australia and many Southeast Asian countries. If they wish, they could import the car back to Japan – probably under the nameplate "Inspire" again (update in 2014: Honda eventually decided to import only the hybrid Accords back to Japan).

The reunification arrived just in time as the 9th generation (American) Accord is rationalized with a more compact size and reduced fuel consumption, so it should be easier to swallow by the global market. Compare with the last car, its overall length has been shortened by 76 mm, while the wheelbase has shrunk from 2800 mm to 2775 mm – incidentally, the same as arch-rival Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Handsome is not the right word to describe its new exterior design, but at least it is inoffensive. Its conservative style must be a safe choice for average American family men and women as well as Chinese customers.



Brilliantly, despite of the smaller exterior, the interior is no smaller. In fact, it actually offers 25 mm extra legroom for rear passengers, and more shoulder room, too. Only headroom suffers a little due to a sleeker shape, but it can still easily accommodate six-footers front and back. This is still one of the roomiest cars in the class. Better still, the shorter length does not prevent trunk space from growing by 30 liters. It seems that a lot of space was wasted in the old car!

Space aside, the finishing of the cabin is also much improved. The front seats are comfy and supportive, whether they are cloth or leather. The dashboard, though not exactly a sculpture of art, is now made of quality soft-touch plastics. The simplified center console avoids the ergonomics nightmare of the old car and is a lot easier to use. The whole environment is light and airy, with good visibility all round.

Naturally, the new chassis employs higher percentage of high-strength steel (56%) and a new steel-aluminum hybrid front subframe. Torsional rigidity is up by 42 percent while 25 kg is shed from the chassis. Equipment and powertrain upgrades put back some pounds, so the final car weighs about the same as the old one.

Big news is the abandoning of double-wishbones front suspensions, i.e. the pride of Accord since Mk3. Replacing them are more conventional MacPherson struts. Honda said it is more compact and lightweight, something we won't argue, but cost reduction and the fact that MacPherson struts work just as good in many rivals are likely to be a good reason. At the back, the multi-link setup is carried over.

The steering is also renewed. As expected, the good old hydraulic rack is replaced with modern electric power steering. There are 2 types actually - four-cylinder models employ a design with column motor, while V6 car uses rack-mounted motor due to packaging problems.



The engines have been upgraded as well. The four-cylinder engine - expected to take 80-85 percent of all sales - remains a 2.4-liter long-stroke DOHC i-VTEC, but it finally gets direct injection. This allows an 11.1:1 compression and lifts output by 7 hp to 185 hp. Maximum torque gets an even bigger jump from 162 to 181 lbft. As before, the i-VTEC system works on the intake camshaft only. It comprises of VTEC 2-stage cams and VTC continuous variable cam phasing. The cam switchover point is set at 4800 rpm.

The 3.5-liter V6 gets modest modifications, mainly revised intake/exhaust ports and reduction of internal friction. Its output is improved slightly to 278 hp (up 7hp) and 252 lbft. Its SOHC i-VTEC valvetrain remains a little outdated, and it is yet to get direct injection. The label i-VTEC is somewhat misleading. It is actually the good old 2-stage cam-changing VTEC system (switchover point at 4900 rpm). The i for intelligent is meaningful only to the engine paired with automatic transmission, where the VTEC system gets a 3rd set of cams with zero lift to shut down the 3 cylinders at the rear bank. Such variable cylinder management (VCM) was also available on the old engine, but the new one operates across a wider range thus improves fuel consumption a little.

The 2.4-liter engine now mates with a new, in-house-built CVT transmission which has wider ratio spread than the outgoing 5-speed auto. The V6 is too powerful for the CVT to handle, so it employs a new 6-speed automatic. A delight to keen drivers: both engines are offered with 6-speed manual gearbox, too.

One interesting thing is the standard fitment of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Active Sound Control (ASC). Both features use speakers in the cabin to generate artificial noise. ANC generates counter-phase noise to cancel the unwanted engine noise, especially the unpleasant exhaust note in 3-cylinder mode, whereas ASC is used to enhance high-rev soundtrack.



On the road, the new Accord is an excellent choice if comfort is your first priority. It rides smoothly and quietly. Its steering is light and easy to guide. Both the four-pot and V6 engines are smooth and willing to rev, and they provide brisk performance. The 6-speed manual has the best gearshift in the industry, being crisped and butter slick, just as you would expect from Honda. More surprising is the new CVT, which has the typical rubberband effect largely eliminated because it is programmed to simulate the stepped gearchange of conventional auto. Only under full throttle it will scream crazily like conventional CVTs, as the pulleys cannot withstand violent change of ratio. That said, it is perhaps the best CVT on the market.

Drive more aggressively, the Accord is still a decent companion. While its modest tires, brakes and suspension setting are definitely not sporting, its handling is quite nimble, feeling noticeably lighter and smaller than the old car. This is especially obvious on the 4-cylinder model. While the electrical power steering does not deliver a lot of feel, it is accurate and it weighs up linearly once you have overcome the dead spot on center. Thanks to good damping, body motions are well controlled while sharp edges of bumps are well filtered out. Honda still masters the art of chassis tuning.

However, if you are keen drivers, the Accord might lack the sparkles to excite you. Rivals like Ford Mondeo and Fusion and Volkswagen Passat have firmer suspensions, weightier steering and solid chassis to deliver better body control and inspire more driving confidence. They are simply more fun to drive. The Honda might strike a better balance between comfort and dynamics, but it is a tad too soft and old-fashioned to delight us.
Verdict:
 Published on 10 Oct 2012 All rights reserved. 
Accord Coupe


From outside, the Accord Coupe looks as if a facelift from the old car. In fact, it is all new under the sheet metal. All the new stuffs in the Accord sedan can be found on the Coupe as well, such as the new strut-type front suspensions, electrical power steering and the updated 2.4-liter and 3.5-liter engines. As always, the Accord Coupe is built alongside its sedan sister at the same assembly plant, so they share high percentage of components as well as much the same character.

Compare with the sedan, the 2-door body shell is 50 mm shorter in overall length and in wheelbase. Its fastback roof line stands 30 mm closer to the ground. It is also slightly lighter than the equivalent sedan. As a result, it displays a touch better handling and performance. A V6 Coupe equipped with 6-speed manual gearbox – note that this combination is not found on the sedan – is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in the high-5 seconds range.



Then why does the sedan get 4 stars rating while the Coupe gets only 2 stars? The answer is different roles with different expectation. The Accord Coupe is a dying breed of sedan-based, civilized coupes. In the good old days of the 1970s, 80s and early 90s, many people buy these coupes just for their stylish looks. Today, looks alone is not enough to get public favour. We have plenty of coupes that offer big performance and/or sharp handling, such as Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, BMW 1-Series Coupe, Audi TT, Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ. Who still wants a front-wheel-drive family car-based coupe? If the Accord Coupe was as beautiful as Peugeot 406 Coupe, it might stand a chance. Since it looks this uninspiring, it is easy to overlook it in the seas of striking rivals.

Its chassis dynamics also fails to match its rear-drive rivals, especially in the case of the nose-heavy V6 model, where understeer and torque steer are present if you push it into corners. The steering feel – or the lack of it – on the V6 also leaves a lot to be desired. Stick to the four-cylinder model and you lose a big chunk of performance. In short, the Accord Coupe is very compromised.
Verdict:
 Published on 25 May 2013
All rights reserved. 
Accord Plug-in Hybrid


Remember the first Honda Accord Hybrid? Its combination of V6 engine and IMA electric powertrain looked a good idea to us then, but few people actually bought the car because in real-world driving conditions its fuel economy benefit was negligible. The failure caused Honda to skip the hybrid model in the next generation (2007-2012) Accord and rethought its hybrid strategy. It concluded that the IMA's single small motor cannot attain as high efficiency as the 2-motor system of Toyota. Moreover, it is not able to provide full electric propulsion, which is deemed to be the main attraction of hybrid cars. To leapfrog Toyota, Honda decided to turn the new green Accord into a "Plug-in Hybrid". This is achieved by installing a larger, 6.7 kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the boot. It can be charged at home for a few hours and provide an EV range of 13 miles (20 km), good enough for most short commutes aroudn town.

To optimize fuel economy, the engine is downsized to a 2.0-liter i-VTEC four-pot, and it runs at Atkinson cycle like rivals to improve thermal efficiency further – therefore the 13.0:1 compression is misleading. It could have been even more efficient if direct injection was present. Maybe Honda has yet to develop to that stage. Maybe it wants to limit costs. Whatever reasons, it is not as advanced as the HSD system used on Lexus IS300h. Fortunately, the electric system is as good as Toyota's, because it follows the latter to use 2 motors. The more powerful one (166 hp and 226 lbft) is used to provide propulsion. Another is smaller and works solely as generator. It goes without saying the use of two different size motors allows them to be optimized for their purposes, thus improve efficiency. The large propulsion motor compensates for the engine's relative lack of punch (141 hp and 122 lbft), resulting in a combined maximum of around 200 horses. Okay, you can't get 200 hp for top speed run because the electric power fades out at high rev. Moreover, such power is not sustainable as the battery will run out quickly. Still, it gives the car good overtaking power in occasions you need, plus the ability to sprint from 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds. That is about the same time as the conventional 2.4-liter Accord. Of course, the biggest benefit over the regular Accord is fuel economy. Its EPA rating is 47 mpg city and 46 mpg highway, a dramatic improvement from 27 mpg and 36 mpg, respectively. In real-world testing, Car and Driver observed 42 mpg, so the fuel saving is real.



That said, we found the Accord Plug-in Hybrid harder to love than the regular car. There are several reasons: Firstly, its special front grille looks rather disgusting, lacking the advanced and tasteful design that we expected for a hybrid. Secondly, its boot space is reduced by half, blame to the relatively large battery. Thirdly, it weighs 200 kg more than the regular 2.4EX, even though the bonnet, front subframe and rear bumper beam have been changed to aluminum items. This hurts its handling, leading to looser body control and earlier understeer. Moreover, the use of low rolling resistance tires reduces its grip, while the retuned steering gets even lighter and less inspiring. And this is downgraded from a baseline that we described "a tad too soft to delight us" in the previous review. Lastly but not least, the Plug-in Hybrid is too expensive. It costs some $40.5K in the US market before the government incentive of $3600. That compares unfavorably to the $25.5K price tag of 2.4EX. If it looked more unconventional and classier than the lesser Accord, we might think it is worth consideration. Since it isn't, its price premium is hard to swallow. Even if you put fuel economy on first priority, there are cheaper ways to achieve your goal, such as buying a Toyota Prius. That car also looks smarter.
Verdict:
 Published on 17 Dec 2015
All rights reserved. 
Accord facelift (2015)


The current Accord has always been a good car – good to drive, comfortable to travel and even better to own due to its high reliability and fuel economy. However, one thing it does lag behind the competition is styling, which is too soft and dull. In 2015 Q3, Honda gave it a desperately needed facelift. A new front grille, restyled front bumper and new taillights do wonder to the visual effect, giving it more character and finally a sense of elegance. Meanwhile, premium models also received eye-catching 5-spoke alloy wheels at 19-inch diameter (as pictured), which finally fill the wheel wells full, and are shod with low-profile 235/40R19 rubbers. These mods might sound minor, but they make a big difference to our eyes.

As the Accord driver is no longer laughed for poor taste, he can concentrate more on driving and enjoy the high refinement offered by the powertrain and the suspension. The update touches neither the existing 2.4-liter four-port engine nor the very powerful 3.5-liter V6, There is really no need, as the competition has yet to surpass them. Industrial trend talks about downsized turbocharged engines, but very few can actually beat the Honda’s fuel economy numbers, thanks to the latter’s CVT. We don’t like CVTs, of course, even though Honda’s unit is better than most. Fortunately, the Accord is still the last remaining family car that offers a 6-speed manual gearbox for enthusiastic drivers, and it is an excellent one. And most important, it is not only available to smaller engines – as in the case of many European cars – but also the top V6. So fuel economy or fun is up to you.



The outdated interior design is another weak link of Accord. However, as this is not a full redesign, it gets only some new trims and added infotainment functionality, such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Frankly, that’s an area I have absolutely no interest to spend time.

It is better to turn our attention to the chassis. All models now get an aluminum bonnet to save 8 kg from the front axle as well as higher performance dampers. Apart from the aforementioned 19-inch wheels and low-profile tires, premium models get
also a slightly reinforced chassis, 2-mode amplitude reactive dampers and hydraulic bushings on rear subframe to sharpen handling a little at minimal expense of ride quality. However, the Accord remains a well-judged balance between ride and handling. It is not the sportiest car in the class, which has to be Mazda 6, but it is more enjoyable to steer than most others. This hasn’t changed in the mid-life update.
Verdict:
Specifications





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout

Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)

0-100 mph (sec)

Accord 2.4 EX
2012
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4860 / 1850 / 1465 mm
2775 mm
Inline-4
2354 cc
DOHC 16 valves, VVT, VVL
-
DI
185 hp
181 lbft
6-speed manual or CVT
F: strut
R: multi-link
-
215/55VR17
1482 (6M) / 1513 (CVT) kg
-
6M: 6.6*
CVT: 7.7* / 7.7**
6M: 17.9*
CVT: 19.8* / 19.6**
Accord 3.5 EX-L
2012
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4860 / 1850 / 1465 mm
2775 mm
V6, 60-degree
3471 cc
SOHC 24 valves, VVT+L
-
Cylinder deactivation
278 hp
252 lbft
6-speed automatic
F: strut
R: multi-link
-
215/55VR17
1614 kg
-
5.6*

13.9*

Accord Coupe 3.5 EX-L
2012
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4806 / 1850 / 1435 mm
2725 mm
V6, 60-degree
3471 cc
SOHC 24 valves, VVT+L
-
-
278 hp
251 lbft
6-speed manual
F: strut
R: multi-link
-
235/45VR18
1542 kg
-
5.6*

13.4*





Performance tested by: *C&D, **MT





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine

Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power


Max torque

Transmission
Suspension layout

Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
Accord Plug-in Hybrid
2013
Front-engined, FWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4915 / 1850 / 1465 mm
2775 mm
Inline-4, Atkinson cycle + electric motor
1993 cc
DOHC 16 valves, VVT
-
-
Engine: 141 hp
Motor: 166 hp
Combined: 196 hp
Engine: 122 lbft
Motor: 226 lbft
CVT
F: strut
R: multi-link
-
225/50VR17
1715 kg
-
7.7*
22.1*


























































Performance tested by: *C&D






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