What is actually beneath the Accord’s hood?
As it did with the the latest introduction of the redesigned CR-V, Honda is mashing jointly the Accord gasoline and hybrid variations into a person trim structure. That signifies the LX and EX trim degrees characteristic a gas powertrain, when the Sport, EX-L, Activity-L and Touring all make the change about to hybrid electrical power only. From a marketing viewpoint, there is just not an “Accord Hybrid” any more.
The Accord will nonetheless be entrance-wheel-generate only. This could be a downside for sedan consumers desiring all-wheel travel to aid out with wintertime traction. For reference, the Kia K5 and Toyota Camry both provide out there all-wheel travel.
Earlier, there were two gasoline-only engines accessible for the Accord: a base turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder and a far more effective 252-horsepower 2.-liter four-cylinder that was optional on the Sport trim and conventional on the Touring. That upgraded motor is gone, but the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder carries on as the foundation engine in the LX and EX. It is paired with a consistently variable automatic transmission (CVT) and will make a matching 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque.
Under the hood of the hybrid types is an up-to-date hybrid process that capabilities a 2.-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electrical motors. Overall system output is 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque, down 8 hp but up 15 lb-ft of torque above final year’s Accord Hybrid.
We have tested this powertrain a short while ago in the CR-V Hybrid and uncovered that the procedure operates properly in city driving but gets a little loud and unrefined when likely up and down hills or accelerating up to highway speeds. Our last impressions will have to hold out till we get at the rear of the wheel of the Accord with this set up. Honda also claims the gas financial state figures are forthcoming, but we might guess that they will finish up coming in at or a bit underneath the 47 mpg mixed of the last-generation Accord Hybrid.
How’s the Accord’s inside?
The Accord will take on many of the themes Honda introduced in the more compact Civic. You can find a prolonged, flat dashboard which is topped by a touchscreen with steel accents on the local climate regulate dials and mesh over the vents. The Accord gets a diverse mesh sample than the Civic’s, but the general aesthetic is similar. It really is a straightforward seem that translates perfectly in this somewhat larger format, and we like the understated but valuable format of the controls.
Up entrance, a new seat structure is mentioned to minimize tiredness on for a longer period drives. I have only sat in them briefly, but so considerably I would price them as incredibly relaxed. Likewise relaxed is the back again seat, which possesses a gargantuan 40.8 inches of rear legroom. In that regard it feels like the again seat of a whole-sizing sedan, but in headroom it does not. The Accord’s sloping rear profile cuts down into the cabin and if you are on the taller side, you can have to slouch down a bit to maintain your head from bouncing into the headliner when the vehicle is in movement.
How’s the Accord’s tech?
The most noteworthy inside alterations for the Accord appear on the engineering front. A 10.2-inch electronic show for the instrument cluster will come regular, but the bigger tale is an available 12.3-inch touchscreen display that will come conventional on the top 4 trim levels (aka the hybrid kinds).
This is the major monitor that Honda has at any time place in a vehicle, and it does a a great deal improved career of filling the dashboard and generating it sense present day than the scaled-down 9-inch screens identified in the Civic, CR-V and Pilot (among other people). The bigger display also adds on conventional wi-fi connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. One particular far more matter we like about this screen: It is put properly. At times the more substantial screens can be tough to reach for the driver, but I was ready to conveniently achieve the far edge of the display screen from my driving place. There is certainly also a little ledge beneath the screen for you to stabilize your hand when using the display screen, one more contact that just helps make it all a great deal easier to use.
Unusually, only Touring styles give a wireless charging pad, so only those versions can totally furnish the driver with a twine-absolutely free existence. Touring designs also completely get a person other trick: Google constructed-in. This is a fancy way to say that Google apps are now designed into the system natively, and you can login with an present Google account and your destinations will load into Google Maps and sync with the Google Assistant. There are benefits to getting the system built-in like this into the vehicle’s ecosystem. You can, for illustration, use the Google Assistant’s voice commands to set the local climate management or the heated seats.
The Google Play retail store is also there, with the capacity to obtain apps that have been precisely crafted for use in-car or truck. In observe, the process is tremendous snappy and simple to use, and the Google voice assistant in distinct helps make for a improved experience than Honda’s voice recognition by a huge margin.
LX and EX models make do with only a 7-inch touchscreen, but all Accords now obtain the capability to obtain around-the-air program updates that can update the car’s functionality.
Driver guide features have also been upgraded. The forward-facing digicam and radar that power the automatic crisis braking now have a broader discipline of see and present superior item detection at intersections, Honda suggests. The blind-location displays can detect other vehicles farther absent than ahead of, and the adaptive cruise regulate technique now attributes Targeted visitors Jam Assist, which allows the program to function in site visitors down to a quit.
