Automotive

Honda blends big space with small engines in 10th-gen Accord

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The 10th-generation Honda Accord 
The new Honda Accord has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor 
The new Accord is a more interesting design than the car it replaces 
The glasshouse on the new Accord is more rakish than before 
The boot on the new Accord is larger than that of its predecessor 
Honda is taking on the new Toyota Camry with its 10th-gen Accord 
The profile of the Accord is more coupe-like than before 
Power comes from a choice of three engines in the Accord 
Upscale Honda Accords can be specced with a 10-speed automatic gearbox 
The taillights on the Accord are similar to those on the Civic 
The 10th-generation Honda Accord 
The wider rear track on the Honda Accord gives it a more planted look on the road 
The Accord is longer and lower, for a sportier look 
The Accord is the first front-wheel drive car to have a ten-speed automatic gearbox
The new Honda Accord 
The Accord will be built in Ohio 
The boot of the Accord is bigger, perfect for families with plenty of gear to carry
The Accord Hybrid has the most thermally efficient engine ever fitted to a production Honda 
The interior of the Honda Accord is more upscale than before
Behind the wheel of the Honda Accord 
The front seats in the Honda Accord can be optioned with heating and cooling 
The rear seats on the Honda Accord can also be heated 
A look under the skin of the Honda Accord 
The compact 10-speed automatic gearbox on the Honda Accord. It's mated with a 2.0-liter automatic gearbox 
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Honda has two of the best-known nameplates in the motoring world: Civic and Accord. The compact Civic was recently given a comprehensive makeover, and now its bigger brother has been treated to a radical redesign. Although it isn't quite as "out there" as the refreshed Camry, the 10th-gen Accord is a smarter, more efficient car than the Accords that came before it.

The design team at Honda describes the redesigned Accord as a "dramatic" change from its predecessors. We wouldn't quite go that far. It sits on a 2.16 in (5.5 cm) longer wheelbase than before, but is 0.6 in (1.5 cm) lower and has a 0.39 in (1-cm) shorter body all up. The wheel tracks are wider at both ends, too, and the swept-back glasshouse makes for a less conventional, more interesting silhouette overall.

It's undoubtedly a handsome car, and manages to look interesting without stooping to fake scoops, vents and wings. In other words, it doesn't look like the new Toyota Camry. The design is smarter, too, delivering (marginally) smoother aerodynamics than the car it replaces.

The Accord will be built in Ohio 

Inside, the longer wheelbase and wider body contribute to a more upscale experience for all five passengers. Honda says there's more leg, hip and shoulder room all round, and the boot now holds 16.7 cu.ft (473 L) of stuff. These cars need to do it all, from hauling kids to moving furniture, and every little bit of extra space on offer is likely to be appreciated by their owners.

Practicality aside, the interior has been designed with a focus on quality. The dashboard is trimmed in soft-touch material, and the new steering wheel is meant to feel sportier than before. Drivers sit in a 12-way adjustable throne, which can be heated and cooled if the right options boxes are ticked. Even rear seat passengers can be treated to seat heaters.

Under the hood, the Accord benefits from a range of compact turbocharged engines, along with one hybrid. The smallest is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder making 192 hp (143 kW) of power and 260 Nm (192 lb-ft) of torque, while jumping up to the 2.0-liter turbo boosts those outputs to 252 hp (188 kW) and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque. Honda says the 2.0-liter engine shares a lot of parts with the Civic Type-R, which suggest we might see a hotter Accord in the future.

The interior of the Honda Accord is more upscale than before

The entry-level Accord is available with a six-speed manual or a CVT, while the more expensive 2.0-liter can be paired with the first 10-speed automatic to be used in a front-wheel drive car, or the same six-speed stick as the entry-level car. According to Honda, the 10-speed auto is 22 percent lighter than the six-speed auto in the current Accord, and has a much wider ratio spread. That means the bottom gears are shorter for better acceleration off the line, while the top ratios are taller for better highway efficiency.

There's also an Accord Hybrid on offer. It pairs an Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine with the highest thermal efficiency of any production Honda engine, combined with in-house electric motors that contain no heavy rare-earth metals.

As you'd expect of a modern family car, there's a full suite of active safety features on offer. The car has auto-emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and blind spot warnings. Nervous parkers will appreciate the parking sensors and rear-view camera, too. Honda says the body is stiffer than before, which should help if you do manage to have an accident.

The new Accord will be built in Ohio when it goes on sale in the US fall later this year.

Source: Honda

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4 comments
Gizmowiz
The newest 'Accord' and 'Camry' is the Tesla model 3. Goodbye Japan your headed towards irrelevance just like Detroit.
MK23666
I think that comment would probably be better directed at the ICE instead of car companies. Japan can/will pivot far faster than Detroit. Neither will die, all will evolve at their own pace.
Gizmowiz
No MK23666 Detroit will die. Just look at what happened to GM and Chrysler recently with their bankruptcy and bailed out by Obummer. No more bailouts means dead Detroit. Ford won't survie either. It's Cmax is a joke. So is it's Focus EV.
IvanWashington
I wonder if it filters out road rash as well as the 2017 CRV base?