Honda Accord

Overview

Honda has a good taste when it comes to designing cars. Although looks are subjective, we would still say that most of the Honda vehicles, especially the sedans, currently available in our market look fabulous. And the Accord is one of them. It received an exciting facelift last year, which just made it that much better. However, there have been no mechanical upgrades.

So, the Accord continues to have two engine options - 2.0L and 2.4L - that run on petrol. It gets the same 5-speed automatic gearbox. The new design of the headlamps would definitely woo in more customers. And the fact that Honda has provided all the major safety features as standard is commendable.

The two variants of the Honda Accord - 2.0 VTi-L and 2.4 VTi-L Advance - are available in five color options - White Orchid Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic and Obsidian Blue Pearl - and costs RM 140,937 and RM 160,250 respectively.

Interior & Features

Honda Accord is an elegant car. Honda has paid the same amount of attention to its interior as it did while designing the exterior, or perhaps, even more. As soon as you enter the cabin, you instantly get a feeling of calmness, luxury, and comfort. The color choice here is perfect. The black seats, which are 8-way electronically adjustable, fits you perfectly. The use of premium wood on the dashboard and doors, increase the luxuriousness. And the piano black finish around the gear lever and the entertainment system is nice to have.

There is a 7-inch advanced touchscreen display that lets you control various features of the car. It allows you to connect your smartphone to it via either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. It also takes care of your audio and navigation. Then we've got the Intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) that tells you about details like fuel efficiency, driving range, etc.

The steering wheel feels very premium and sporty. It features certain mounted controls. There are also a couple of paddle shifters in case your mood swings and the child inside you comes out. The meter cluster in front of the steering wheel is redesigned and now gets a new spindle pattern and font for a clearer visibility.

Exterior

Like we said, Honda makes gorgeous-looking cars. The facelifted version of the Accord took the styling quotient to a higher level. The broad swept-back headlights feature LEDs and DRLs. These upgraded headlights not just look cool but also function much better. From the front, the Accord looks huge, sporty, and angry, but still, there is a touch of elegance to it.  The side profile of the Honda Accord enhances the elegance in an effective manner. This design also features better aerodynamic efficiency. The outside rear view mirrors are body-colored and have got integrated LED turn indicators. They are hydrophilic in nature, that means they disperse water droplets which help to maintain visibility during the rains. The side view of the car is further enhanced by the striking-looking alloy wheels. There are two variants of these, both of them are very stylish, and you will get the one depending on the variant you pick.

Just like the headlights, the tail lights of the Accord are wide in dimensions. They, too, come with LEDs. Their sleek design complements the wide rear look of the car. Both the lights are joined by this wide chrome slat that extends from one end of the boot lid to the other.

Ride & Handling

The Accord comes fitted with either 17-inch alloy wheels with a tire size of 225/50, or 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 tires. The former is available with the 2.0L variant, and the latter comes with the 2.4L variant. These tires provide good grip, and the tread noise is minimal.

The suspension setup on the Honda Accord is MacPherson Strut at the front and Multi-link at the rear. This setup gives a plush and comfortable ride. It soaks up minor undulations of the road with great precision. The good thing is that the tuning is such that the Accord can take care of a good amount of corners without compromising the plush ride quality.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Honda has been using the same two engines in the Accord for quite some time now. And even with the new facelift update, it decided to leave them unaltered. So, the Accord continues to come with either a 2.0 VTi-L or a 2.4 VTi-L. Both of them have inline 4-cylinders, 16 valves, and features i-VTEC. However, it is the latter that has got Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology. Honda claims that this new development enhances both driving performance and fuel efficiency.

The 2.0 VTi-L engine has got 155 PS of max power at 6,500 revs and 190 Nm of torque at 4,300 revs, whereas the bigger 2.4 VTi-L engine churns out a max power of 175 PS at 6,200 revs and 225 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 revs. Both the engine comes mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. This is the same old unit. The problem with it is that it tends to miss out on an extra gear when doing high speeds on highways. We would have loved to see a new gearbox, and perhaps, an optional manual.

Braking & Safety

With disc brakes mounted on all four wheels, the Accord has a good amount of braking power. Also, the braking distance is greatly controlled or reduced by the good quality tires, and Anti-lock braking system (ABS). Apart from ABS, there are many other modern safety features that come as standard with the Honda Accord. These include dual front airbags, side airbags, side curtain airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), 2 Corner Front Sensor, 4 Corner Reverse Sensor, Multi-Angle Rearview Camera, Honda LaneWatch Camera (LWC), etc.

Apart from these, Active Cornering Light (ACL), Hydrophilic Door Mirror, and Honda SENSING (FCW, CMBS, LDW, LKAS, RDM, ACC), are only available in the higher variant.

Verdict

Honda has decades of expertise in what it does. The current Accord is in its ninth generation, which clearly shows years of its successful existence. Yes, there are some negatives here and there which we would like Honda to sort out in the next variant. Overall, the Honda Accord continues to cater to the needs of a specific lot of people. It carries forward its legacy that Honda started many years ago. And we’re pretty sure that this legacy will continue to move ahead in the coming years.