Honda Cars : Automobile Magazine: Vile Gossip: Is Honda Coming Back to Us? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

by Jean Jennings of www.automobilemag.com
You would think Honda has been quietly seething about the trash talk the enthusiast press has been heaping on its bland lineup of perfect cars for the past decade. You know, like: We want a CR-Z like that 1990 CRX. Could the Accord be any more boring? Why can't Honda bake a little excitement into the Civic along with all that reliability and ridiculous resale value? Even Consumer Reports went off on Honda's brand-new 2012 Civic, calling the interior "dismal" and pulling its coveted "Recommended" rating. Whoa.  

We don't like boring cars at Automobile Magazine. But here's a shot of reality: Times have been tough. Honda saw a recession coming and pulled in the reins on frivolity when it designed the subdued 2012 Civic. "We thought the market would be more value driven," explains American Honda executive VP John Mendel. "It has been, but not at the cost of content."

Well, of course not! We're Americans, for heaven's sake. But was the 2012 Civic really a mistake? Honda had a jazzy redesign in the works soon after its introduction. Before it could act, Consumer Reports struck. Yet Honda sold 317,909 "dismal" Civics in 2012, making it the third-best-selling car in the U.S. The Accord (you know, the previous stodgy one) was the second-best seller at 331,872. The CR-V was the best-selling SUV/crossover at 281,652. We should know in our hearts that when times are tough, Americans buy Hondas.  

Says Mendel: "Here's the conundrum for any mass-market brand building three vehicles that each sell 300,000 examples a year. You have to be edgy yet not offensive. It's like a red suit; you say, 'Wow! But it's not for me.' The number-one ice cream sold in the world is still vanilla. It's horrible to say, I suppose, but you can't be so polarizing. It's a nightmare for designers and engineers. We want to be fun, yet we want to be safe, but we also want to be out there. 

"It tweaks me when I read that Honda has lost its way. No one sweats what the customer thinks more than we do. An old friend at Ford used to say that at the end of the day, you have to pass the pub test. You throw your keys on the bar. When you do and people see them, you don't have to explain yourself. Honda has always passed that test."  

Still, the 1990s were the end of hot Hondas as we knew them. That's when chief engineer Nobuhiko Kawamoto, the brilliant father of the world's first aluminum production car, the 1991 Acura NSX, became president and, sadly, transferred control from the wild-eyed engineers to the responsible manufacturing and marketing guys. Although he had been a racing mechanic himself, he pulled Honda out of Formula 1. By doing so, Kawamoto saved his company from the serious threat of a takeover by Mitsubishi Motors (imagine that). Honda then got down to the business of building sensible Civics and Accords with a vengeance. Mister Kawamoto retired in 1998, and we still miss talking with him. 

Fortunately, the racing heads in the company did not go away. In 1993 they became Honda Performance Development, keeping the pilot light burning as a subsidiary of American Honda. Now, on the eve of the Acura NSX's return to production, it is fitting that the HPD guys might be building the successor to the CRX of our dreams -- a hot CR-Z very much like the HPD concept we spied at the 2012 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The concept has a 185-hp, supercharged four-cylinder engine, a sport suspension, a trick exhaust, big brakes, and eighteen-inch wheels. These HPD guys have pretty good credentials: since 2006, some ninety-eight IndyCar drivers have done business with HPD-prepared racing engines and have completed more than a million miles of practice, qualifying, and racing with only six in-race engine failures.  

You may want to begin a letter-writing campaign to Honda and put the hot CR-Z on your wish list. Meanwhile, there might be another Honda you can fall in love with. We have driven the new 2013 Honda Accord, and it is magnificent. Two weeks ago, most of the staff abandoned the office for a unique, bracketed, head-to-head test of eight mid-size cars, arguably the finest group of family sedans ever on the market at one time. Go to automobilemag.com or download our May iPad issue to read the report. I will tell you one thing: the 2013 Honda Accord blew everyone away. It's been a long time coming.

Source;

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/columns/1305_vile_gossip_is_honda_coming_back_to_us/

Honda Cars : Autos.ca; Comparison Test: 2014 Mazda6 vs 2013 Honda Accord Sedan | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Review by Brendan McAleer, photos by Brendan McAleer and Autos.ca staff

All things considered, it really would be best if the Mazda6 pictured above was brown.

Sure, the swelling lines of the ’6 would look rich and luscious in a deep metallic colour, in the spirit of the brownnaissance that’s sweeping through the auto industry (Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are suddenly fond of using the hue in press shots) – but that’s not what’s behind my reasoning. No, brown would be appropriate because what we’ve got here is the oldest taste-test in the book: Vanilla versus Chocolate.
Luckily, the Accord happens to be the right colour, same as my washer and dryer; possibly the same as your iPod. So, an apparent contest between an appliance and a four-door Miata – should be an easy victory for the Mazda, right? Not quite.

Style/Design
While the compact car market remains Canada’s largest volume segment in terms of vehicle sales, buying a mid-sized family car isn’t quite the emotionless choice that selecting an A-to-B commuter can be. Sure, you need some everyday four-door essentials, but this is a big purchase and come Sunday morning, you’ll probably be proudly washing it in the driveway with the kids.

The folks who buy, lease or finance a mid-sized family sedan are likely to bring it home, park it out front and surreptitiously check to see whether the neighbours are peeping through the curtains enviously. You want something practical, but also something you can be proud of.

Almost immediately, you have to hand it to Mazda’s styling team for sculpting probably the best-looking mid-sized car on the market bar the Ford Fusion. Some of the long-hood-short-deck profile is due to packaging considerations for the Mazda’s high-compression engine (more on that later), but you’d be hard-pressed to find an angle from which the Mazda6 doesn’t look the proverbial million bucks.

Riding around the tony neighbourhood of West Vancouver, where 911s are more common than Vee-Dubs and Audi/BMW ownership is practically a compulsory city bylaw, my GT-trim tester still manages to turn a few heads. It looks more expensive than it is.

In comparison, the Accord aims not to offend anyone’s palate too much and mostly succeeds. Sport trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a subtle rear spoiler and chrome exhaust tips by way of decorating a conservative, squared-off shape.

And yet, somehow it all works. The Honda might lack the initial flash of the Mazda, but it has lines that will still look classically good when it’s five years old with hood chips and parking-lot door-dings. Think of it as good bone structure – nothing fades faster than cutting-edge style.

What’s more, a few points have to be deducted from the Mazda as only the expensive GT trim wears the 19-inch big shoes to fill out the wheel wells. 17-inch alloys are standard on the GX and GS trims – and they look fine. However, the 18-inchers on the Honda come as the very first upgrade over stock.
   
2014 Mazda6 (left) & 2013 Honda Accord (right). Click image to enlarge

Efficiency
Anyone who’s purchased a new vehicle in the past few years knows how laughably optimistic Natural Resources Canada can be in reporting average fuel consumption. Still, on paper the Mazda6 pips the Accord handily at just 7.6/5.1 L/100 km city/highway versus the Accord’s 8.7/5.7 rating.

Those figures are an automatic-to-automatic comparison by the way, but my Mazda6 tester was actually a six-speed manual that is rated a few tenths of a litre worse than the excellent Mazda six-speed auto, yet still ahead of the CVT-equipped Honda Accord. However, we can extrapolate from the results.

In the real world, or at least Vancouver’s traffic, one of two things happen. Either volume is heavy and sluggish and you inch along at low rpms, or everyone drives like they’re fleeing the scene of a major jewellery heist.

The end result of a week’s worth of mostly city driving is a dead heat between the automatic Accord and the manual-box Mazda at around 10 L/100 km. Not trusting on-board computers, this figure is based on the fuel burned by each vehicle over the week, calculated against mileage travelled.

How useful is such a measurement? Not much: slight variability in air-temperature over the week, an extra ten minutes of idling in traffic or a slightly higher average speed, and a plus-or-minus figure of at least 10 percent should be taken into account.

However, take into account the Mazda’s reduced efficiency due to the manual tranny and the 6 should theoretically be 10 percent better than the Accord over a year’s worth of driving.
 
2014 Mazda6. Click image to enlarge

Features/Value
Apples to apples, you might save a couple hundred dollars in fuel bills by choosing to buy into Mazda’s Skyactiv technology. Over five years, that’s a cool grand in your jeans – well worth considering, right?

Flipping open the Canadian Black Book shows a clean 2007 Mazda6 GT sitting at wholesale values of around $8,600. The same exercise for a roughly equivalent ’07 Accord EX shows $9,300. While fuel and maintenance are certainly costs to be considered, vehicle depreciation is the greatest cost a new-car owner will face and that big H-badge on the front of the Accord still imparts confidence in the used-car market.

Taking a look at bang-for-buck, the Mazda6 commands a price premium over an approximately equivalent Accord when looking at traditional features like a power moonroof or leather interior. The leather-equipped EX-L Accord undercuts the Luxury-package Mazda6 GX at $29,090 compared to $30,395. The Honda’s rear seats are heated as well – more luxury-level trickle-down for the rest of us!

Pare things down to the base models and the $23,990 Accord LX again is slightly cheaper than the base $24,495 Mazda6 GX. Your chances of finding a basic manual version of either car are pretty slim, but that $500 spread remains when selecting the slightly more costly automatic options.

Still, with both cars coming standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, heated front seats, and LCD displays, it’s hardly fair to call either model basic. Worth noting is the Honda’s standard backup camera and much-larger screen at 8 inches wide; however, the Mazda does offer touchscreen capability on its smaller 5.8-inch display.
 
2013 Honda Accord. Click image to enlarge

Safety
If you actually have the misfortune to ram either one of these mid-sizers into an unyielding object, you’ll be happy to note that both cars are IIHS top safety picks. The Accord does fare slightly better than the ’6 in the small overlap front-impact test, but either one is a safe, comfortable place to be sitting while driving into the medium-sized tree of your choosing. Or what have you.

‘Course, if you do impact something it won’t be the car’s fault. As mentioned, the Honda Accord has a back-up camera as standard (with multiple angles in higher trim levels), and also can be equipped with a clever passenger-side blind-spot camera that shows what your mirror misses in a wide-angle shot on the centre-mounted display when turning right. Warning chimes for both lane departure and frontal collision are available on EX-L trim and upwards.

2013 Honda Accord. Click image to enlarge

As my Accord Sport tester wasn’t equipped with anything other than the standard backup camera, it’d be unfair to comment as to the effectiveness of Honda’s safety tech. Instead, I’ll editorialize a little that the asymmetric nature of Honda’s camera is a bit odd (great for avoiding cyclists, not really useful on a blind on-ramp). I’ll also just express the vain hope that all these safety gizmos don’t turn us all into even worse drivers, like the permanently distracted, technology-dependent blobs from Pixar’s “Wall-E”.
However, if an electronic safety net is your thing, then, boy, has Mazda got a car for you. You have to pay for it, as a back-up camera is only available on the GS and up, but a whole host of warning systems are available on the GT. GS and GT models have an audible blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alerts; an optional GT-only technology package has gee-whiz goodies like radar-controlled cruise control, automatic high-beam control – even an automated city-speed braking system.
Mazda’s blind-spot system works extremely well – and if you’ve set your mirrors properly, you really don’t need it. More useful is the rear cross-traffic warning. Getting out of my driveway involves backing up a small slope into a busy street – difficult with the swoopy rear styling of the ’6 and compounded by my neighbour’s street-parked long-box pickup truck. I was frankly impressed by the Mazda’s seeming ability to look around the pickup and alert me of high-speed miscreants careening along, heedless of reverse lights.
 
2014 Mazda6. Click image to enlarge

Also worth noting is the Mazda6’s adaptive front lighting system. Available only on GT models, this setup turns the projector headlamps along with the front wheels, as though the car is “looking” through the corner. It’s not new technology (you can get the same equipment on the Mazda3), but it’s still an excellent feature and one that makes night-time country roads much more liveable.
   
Left – 2014 Mazda6, right – 2013 Honda Accord. Click image to enlarge

Space
Manufacturers will happily provide all manner of objective measurement in the area of interior space. Thus, I am able to tell you that the Honda Accord has 10 mm more rear headroom than the Mazda6. That’s not even enough of a difference to change your hairstyle.

Hip room and shoulder room are slightly in Honda’s favour as well. Overall, reading through the spec sheets, the Accord’s passenger volume is larger by 98 L, which will please if you are a family of extra-large amoebas.

Cargo space also skews in favour of the Accord, though I have to speculate how much of the Honda’s advantage is down to the upper portion of the trunk: both cars use a torsion set up rather than gas struts and Mazda has shrouded theirs to prevent it crushing luggage. Points deducted from Honda for the single-piece (rather than 60/40) folding rear seatback.

Despite relatively minor differences, I can subjectively tell you that the best way to differentiate the Mazda6′s interior from that of the Accord is to describe the former as a cockpit. Where the Accord is airy and spacious, the ’6 is closed-in, cloistered, a place for a driver to focus on driving.
  
2014 Mazda6. Click image to enlarge

Driving Experience
Slotting the Mazda into first or plopping the Accord into “D” seems like a formality. Surely the sleeker Mazda with its high-compression engine, bolstered seats, and brand focus on driving pleasure will be the runaway winner; after all, these are the guys behind the Miata. There might be 18-inch alloys on that big white couch, but it’s still just a decently reliable ride with the personality of mashed potatoes, right?

Not so fast. Mazda might still build the MX-5, but Honda is the company that once built the CRX and the S2000, the Acura NSX and the Integra Type-R. When it comes to an engaging four-cylinder engine and a willing chassis, Honda used to be the go-to badge. They’ve just been, I don’t know, taking a nap for the past few years.

Well guess what. Soichiro Honda just woke up.

Even though my Accord Sport is equipped with the enthusiast’s bane, a CVT, it’s no ordinary Continually Terrible Transmission. Back to back with the Mazda6, the Accord’s 2.4L direct-injection engine feels somehow gruntier than the Mazda6’s torquier-on-paper 2.5L Skyactiv.

It’s got to be trickery from the belt-drive transmission as the two cars are extremely close in power output: 189 hp at 6,400 rpm for the Sport version of the Accord, 184 hp at 5,700 rpm for the Mazda6. Torque is similarly close at 185 lb-ft at 3250 rpm for the Mazda and 182 lb-ft at 3900 rpm for the Honda. If you can feel five horsepower’s worth of difference, then you must be a stagecoach driver.

Despite the slightly greater torque, a great-shifting manual transmission (kudos to Mazda for making the stick available right up to the top-trim GT), and a curb weight that’s effectively one fully grown passenger lighter than the Accord, the Mazda6 doesn’t run away with the handling crown. Its steering is crisper, its engine more willing to rev – and better sounding when it does.

However, punting the Accord Sport through my favourite hairpin on-ramp, I can’t help feeling that the difference isn’t as pronounced as you’d expect. The Accord is light on its feet, with a punchy midrange and plenty of grip from 235-mm-wide tires (Sport and Touring models).

Pulling the same stunt with the ’6 shows the Mazda to be slightly more feelsome in the bends. The six-speed transmission is no Miata gearbox – let’s not get carried away – but it is crisp shifting and the Skyactiv four-pot is a gloriously fizzy little thing. Much like most Mazdas, past and present, the ’6 is at its happiest when you’re thrashing it up through the rev-range; this as a contrast with the Accord, which still feels pretty zoomy, albeit happier at the 80 percent.
 
Left – 2013 Honda Accord in black, right – 2014 Mazda6 in white, just to keep you on your toes.

Conclusion
Neck and neck through the finish line, and we’re doubly impressed. Firstly, Mazda has built a car that’s strongly appealing and dynamic to drive – a machine that thrills, yet still manages to deal with day-to-day schlepping with hardly any drawbacks.

However, the laurels can’t go to both, and it’s the Accord that narrowly feels like the better total package. It’s a hair better in the value department, a tad more spacious; it’s broadly appealing and, best of all, marks something of a return-to-form for Honda driving pleasure.

What’s more, there’s the sense that this car’s going to be a great hand-me-down for the kids one day; the automotive equivalent of a faithful Labrador retriever. Like the somewhat-staid styling, the engineering under the skin is conservative enough to stand the test of time.

As a conquest vehicle, the Mazda6 is the real deal, a must-drive on any shopper’s list, and the available manual-transmission in everything except the Tech-package GT would be a major factor in successfully courting my purchasing dollar.

However, the thing about Vanilla is that, done right, it’s pretty darn tasty. And it goes with everything.

Source;
http://www.autos.ca/car-comparisons/comparison-test-2014-mazda6-vs-2013-honda-accord-sedan/?all=1

Honda Cars : Consumer Reports finds small turbo engines don't deliver on fuel economy claims | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Small turbocharged engines are marketed as delivering the power of a large engine, with the fuel economy of a smaller one. That's a tempting proposition, but our testing shows these small-displacement turbos are not delivering on the promises.

By now, we've tested many cars with these engines, and lots of competitors with traditional, naturally-aspirated powerplants, big and small. Generally, the turbocharged cars have slower acceleration and no better fuel economy than the models with bigger, conventional engines. Looking at EPA fuel-economy estimates (calculated based on laboratory tests), some of these cars' turbocharged engines seem to have an advantage. But we found those results don't match the findings from our own fuel-economy tests.

The latest example is the collection of EcoBoost Ford Fusions we tested, which come with small, direct-injection, turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The smallest one—a 1.6-liter producing 173 hp—is a $795 option over the basic conventional 2.5-liter four cylinder on Fusion SE models. But that car's 0-60 mph acceleration time trails most competitors, and its 25 mpg overall places it among the worst of the crop of recently-redesigned family sedans. The Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima, all with conventional 2.4- or 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines, get an additional 2, 5, and 6 mpg, respectively. And all accelerate more quickly.

The larger among Ford's EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, the turbocharged 231-hp, 2.0-liter, is billed as having the power of a V6 but delivering the fuel economy of a four-cylinder. However, our so-equipped Fusion Titanium returned 22 mpg (which pales against the 25 and 26 mpg we recorded for the best V6 family sedans), slower acceleration and reduced refinement compared to its V6-powered peers.
Another example is our tests of the Chevrolet Cruze. Our base Cruze had the 1.8-liter four-cylinder; our higher-end 1LT version came with the 1.4-liter turbo four cylinder. While the 1.4-liter feels marginally more powerful in daily driving, it was barely faster to 60 mph, and it got the same fuel economy as the larger engine—26 mpg overall.

Turbochargers pump extra air into the engine to deliver more power. But all engines have to be operated at a very specific air-to-fuel ratio. So this extra air has to be augmented with extra fuel, which may offset any savings from shrinking engine sizes.

One benefit to the turbocharged engines is an abundance of torque at low to mid rpm. In daily driving, this means a more effortless feeling of thrust with reduced need to downshift while climbing hills or when delivering the kind of moderate acceleration most drivers demand. That can make a car feel more responsive, even if its actual acceleration times from a standstill are slower. However, not all of these turbocharged models deliver that benefit. Many, especially those smaller 1.4- and 1.6-liter engines, still downshift frequently to keep up with traffic. And all but one of the tested cars have slower mid-range acceleration from 45-65 mph.

In contrast, BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder engines seem to deliver both good fuel economy and acceleration: The 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder contributes to 28 mpg overall in our last tested 328i sedan. It improved mileage only marginally in the 2013 X3 SUV compared to the six-cylinder 2011 X3 we tested, with essentially identical power and acceleration but somewhat comprised refinement. The 2.0-liter turbo four cylinder engine we've tested in Audis and Volkswagens usually return impressive mileage, though we haven't tested any identical model powered by two different engines for such a direct comparison.

Model	Engine	0-60 mph	EPA mpg	CR mpg
Ford Fusion	1.6L Turbo 4	8.9	28	25
Hyundai Sonata	2.4L Four	8.2	26	27
Kia Optima	2.4L Four	8.6	27	25
Toyota Camry	2.4L Four	8.4	28	27
Honda Accord	2.4L Four	7.7	30	30
Nissan Altima	2.4L Four	8.2	27	31
Ford Fusion	2.0L Turbo 4	7.4	26	22
Hyundai Sonata	2.0L Turbo 4	6.6	26	25
Kia Optima	2.0L Turbo 4	6.6	26	24
Toyota Camry	3.5L V6	6.4	25	26
Honda Accord	3.5L V6	6.3	25	26
Nissan Altima	3.5L V6	6.3	23	24
Chevrolet Cruze	1.4L Turbo 4	9.8	28	26
Chevrolet Cruze	1.8L Four	10.5	27	26
Dodge Dart	1.4L Turbo 4	8.6	31	29
Dodge Dart	2.0L Four	11.0	27	27
Ford Escape	1.6L Turbo 4	9.9	25	22
Honda CR-V	2.4L Four	9.2	25	23
Kia Sportage	2.4L Four	10.3	23	22
Toyota RAV4	2.5L Four (2012)	10.0	24	23
Ford Escape	2.0L Turbo 4	8.2	24	22
Kia Sportage	2.0L Turbo 4	7.1	22	21
Toyota RAV4	3.5L V6 (2012)	6.7	22	22
BMW X3	2.0L Turbo 4	7.3	24	23
BMW X3	3.0L Six	7.2	21	22
Ford F-150	3.5 V6 Turbo	7.7	17	15
Ford F-150	5.0L V8	7.8	16	15

So don't take turbocharged engines' eco-boasts at face value. There are better ways to save fuel, including hybrids, diesels, and other advanced technologies. We'll take a look at their effectiveness in a future post.

Source;
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/02/consumer-reports-finds-small-turbo-engines-dont-deliver-on-fuel-economy-claims.html

Honda Cars : 2013 Honda Accord Sedan named a Top 3 Finalist for Overall Car of the Year by AJAC | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

MONTREAL, Jan. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - The 2013 Honda Accord sedan was named a Top 3 Finalist for overall 'Canadian Car of the Year' by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) at the Montreal Auto Show today. The winner will be announced in February at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. 

"To have the all-new Accord recognized by so many of Canada's top journalists is something we are extremely proud of," said Dave Jamieson, assistant vice president, Honda Canada. "We designed the new Accord to do what it has always done - raise the bar in the family car category. AJAC's recognition, along with the incredible feedback we're getting from our customers, tells us that we've accomplished just that."

About the 2013 Honda Accord
With a beautiful new design and a host of new and improved content and technology, the 2013 Honda Accord is the most fuel efficient, most spacious, and most fun-to-drive Accord ever built. Featuring the all-new Earth Dreams™ powertrain technology, this Accord is available with the first North American application of Honda's next-generation, 2.4-litre, direct-injected 4-cylinder engine pushing a shorter, sportier, yet more spacious and comfortable vehicle.

Today, after being on the market for just three months, the 2013 Honda Accord is already filling the award cabinet with recognition, including:

• AJAC's 'Best New Family Car under $30,000'
• Autos.ca's 2013 'Top Pick' in the Family Cars category
• Auto123.com's '2013 Midsize Car of the Year'
• One of the first vehicles to earn the highest possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the U.S. IIHS.
• Winner of Car and Driver magazine's prestigious '10Best Cars' award

For more information and photos, please visit HondaNews.ca.

Source;
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1100587/2013-honda-accord-sedan-named-a-top-3-finalist-for-overall-car-of-the-year-by-ajac

Honda Cars : MotorTrend: Honda Seeks Its Roots | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

by Todd Lassa of www.motortrend.com

Pundits have warned about Honda losing its way since at least the early 1990s. With the last few generations of Acuras, the 2011 Civic, and the just-replaced Accord, those warnings finally came to roost.

Enter the 2013 Accord, a return to form with good dynamics, and the big-on-the-inside, smallish-on-the-outside, low-cowl design that Honda calls "Man Maximum, Machine Minimum." It comes on the tail of Honda's announcement last year that it would design, as well as build, the sinewy 2015 Acura NSX in Ohio.  American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura also serves as executive vice president of Honda Motor Company. He spoke of changes and updates for Hondas and Acuras that give us hope the automaker has turned the corner, and is on its way back to the kind of design and engineering leadership that made it an enthusiasts' affordable favorite a quarter-century ago.

The new Acura RLX flagship, unveiled at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, adapts the traditional Honda low cowl of the new Accord. It will be available as a front-drive car for the first time (replacing the RL), with Precision All-Wheel Steer rear toe control, or in AWD form with the three-motor/V-6 Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive. Its 3.5-liter V-6 has been updated with gas direct-injection.  Iwamura-san spoke to a group of auto journalists about the RLX and other cars in a roundtable discussion at Automobile magazine's offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

How will you position the FWD and AWD Acura RLX?
We want it to be a luxury model. We still want to do it smartly. It has a driving feel like a V-8, but offering much better fuel efficiency. We think we'll have 30/30/30 [city/highway/combined] EPA fuel economy [in three-motor hybrid form]. 

Are you considering a 2WD version of the NSX?  
Anything is possible, but we cannot explain the detail of the NSX at this moment. Since we are planning a similar system for the RLX, well...you can guess that. [Honda public relations says that, officially, there are no plans for a RWD NSX. "The car is better, faster, more fun because of the SH-AWD system, not in spite of it."]  

After lagging Toyota and Ford with its IMA system, Honda has become very aggressive with hybrids.
One is the one-motor IMA system, currently in the North American Civic. It will be enhanced, in-house, with a new transmission for the next models [not Civic]. The second is a two-motor hybrid, first in the Accord plug-in, which will be available early next year in the U.S. Following this plug-in hybrid, we will have a full hybrid version of the Accord, which will have a two-motor hybrid system. It will generate very good fuel efficiency. Together with the three-motor hybrid system for both RLX and NSX, we will have three very competitive hybrid systems.  

You scuttled plans for a diesel Acura TSX.  
That stopped, unfortunately. We are watching very carefully and if diesel becomes a major stream in the U.S., we would definitely do it.  

Any more turbos?

Everybody's talking about the downsized turbo. That is, so far, the best approach to make fuel efficiency up, especially from a CAFE point of view.  

 

What have you learned from having to create a major face-lift for the Civic after just two model years? 

We see the current Civic as a nice car. It has a very, very strong competitive edge. It has been the best-selling model in that segment, but we are not satisfied with the model. We really wish to be best in the segment...to be the benchmark again in the segment. So Accord, we made it best, and CR-V, we made it best. Civic, we've made it best in the segment as a benchmark. That is our strategy.

 

Source;

http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2012/1302_honda_seeks_its_roots/

Honda Cars : 2013 Ward's Best Engines: Honda 2.4L DOHC I-4 | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda proves a bread-and-butter engine, its all-new 2.4L direct-injection 4-cyl. in the Accord, is more like a piled-high deli sandwich.

by Tom Murphy of www.wardsauto.com

Bread-and-butter engines make the auto industry go ’round, but they rarely dazzle us with superb refinement or sportiness.

These types of high-volume engines are in affordable cars, and their mission is simple: Deliver the occupant reliably from Point A to Point B and blend into the woodwork.

Only a handful of these unsung heroes have earned Ward’s 10 Best Engines honors over the years, and 2013’s standout among this segment is Honda’s all-new 2.4L direct-injection 4-cyl. in the Accord.

Honda’s first DI engine in North America, branded as “Earth Dreams,” is loaded with compelling technologies, including a forged-steel crankshaft with journals micropolished to reduce friction and a pair of chain-driven counter-rotating balance shafts located in the oil pan to offset harmonic vibrations inherent in 4-cyl. engines.

The addition of fuel being injected directly required a completely re-engineered combustion chamber and a new “dished” surface for the piston crowns to enable stable combustion and proper distribution of the stratified fuel charge.

The flatter, more compact combustion chamber reduces unburned hydrocarbon emissions and contributes to a higher compression ratio of 11.1:1, up from 10.5:1 on the previous 2.4L.

Within the cylinder, engineers set out to reduce sliding friction by offsetting the bores from the crankshaft by 0.3 ins. (8 mm), which gives the connecting rods a more favorable angle during each power stroke, boosting efficiency.

Mass was taken out wherever possible, resulting in a 3.5% reduction in overall engine weight compared with Honda’s previous-generation 2.4L.

Part of that weight savings comes from eliminating the exhaust manifold – an emerging trend for a number of new engines – and incorporating exhaust passages directly into the cylinder head.

This new design allows the close-coupled catalyst to mount directly to the cylinder head, on the front side of the engine, enabling it to heat up faster for reduced emissions. The transversely oriented 2.4L also stands more upright now, whereas the previous engine vented on the back side and slanted rearward 15 degrees.

All this technology adds up to an engine that caught WardsAuto editors off-guard for its power and smoothness.

Over the course of a 537-mile (864-km) test drive, two editors exceeded 33 mpg (7.1 L/100 km) in this generously proportioned sedan that gets up to speed with no problem thanks to 189 hp, ample low-end torque and a wonderful mid-range punch.

“Honda proves once again it isn’t about the numbers,” WardsAuto editor Drew Winter writes on his score sheet. “This engine is fun and sporty. It’s an excellent, practical engine that delivers both performance and fuel economy in unassuming fashion.”

Under a heavy boot, as engine speed builds past 4,800 rpm, Honda’s well-established VTEC variable valve-timing system transitions to a high-lift, long-duration intake cam profile for outstanding high-rpm engine power. And it all happens with regular unleaded gasoline.

Worthy of a shoutout are two new transmissions that help this 2.4L engine truly shine.

A 6-speed manual in the Accord Sport amps up the fun quotient, and driving enthusiasts also will eagerly accept the all-new continuously variable transmission, developed internally to demonstrate that CVTs aren’t just for poky hybrids.

With excellent transmissions, Honda’s 2.4L DI engine isn't just a bread-and-butter 4-cyl.

Now it's a piled-high deli sandwich.

Source;
http://wardsauto.com/vehicles-amp-technology/honda-24l-dohc-i-4 

Honda Cars : 2012 Car and Driver 10Best… and the winners are | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

“Over one week in September, and over a distance of more than 15,000 miles, our editors drove every new 2013 model under $80,000, as well as our returning winners, to bring you this year’s 10Best,” CARandDRIVER said – here’s the full list of winners.
2012 Car and Driver 10Best winners:

• Audi A6/A7/S6/S7
• BMW 3 Series
• Ford Focus/Focus ST
• Ford Mustang GT/Boss 302
• Honda Accord
• Honda Fit
• Mazda MX-5 Miata
• Porsche Boxster
• Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ
• Volkswagen Golf/Volkswagen GTI

- By: Omar Rana
Source: CARandDRIVER

Source;
 http://www.egmcartech.com/2012/12/05/2012-car-and-driver-10best-and-the-winners-are/

Honda Cars : New Honda Accord outperforms higher-priced luxury vehicles like BMW, Mercedes and Lexus | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The release of the all-new 2013 Accord arguably marks the biggest launch in Honda’s history, and the automotive giant is not holding anything back. Coupled with a complete redesign and a whole slew of industry-leading standard features, the ninth generation Accord is living up to the hype of the media buzz surrounding its launch.

“The latest incarnation of the Accord represents the best value-per-dollar of any vehicle on the market,” said Chris Kelly, who road tested the all-new Accord for VehicleTests.com. “After seeing all the high-tech standard features that come with the Accord, I got reverse sticker shock because the car was so inexpensive with more technology and safety features than a lot of luxury cars that are twice its price,” which is why VehicleTests.com awarded the 2013 Honda Accord with its vaunted 5-Star rating.

The 2013 Accord comes at starting price of $21,680 with an array of hi-tech standard features, including a rearview camera and Expanded View Driver’s Mirror. Other standard technologies include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface, Multi-Information Display (i-MID), SMS text messaging function and Pandora Internet Radio interface. These are just some of the reasons for the high praise from VehicleTests.com, which produces independent test-drive videos for consumers.

Honda

Citing "reverse sticker-shock" based on the vehicle's high-tech features compared to its affordable price, VehicleTests.com awarded the 2013 Honda Accord a 5-Star rating.

“After I spent the whole day driving the new Accord, I found myself missing the great features it has once I got back into my own car,” adds Kelly. “You get used to those features really fast.”
 
Drive safer
One of the features to which Kelly refers is the new Honda LaneWatch blind-spot display, which enhances visibility of the passenger-side roadway thanks to a camera that displays what is in your blind spot on the i-MID screen. The Lane Departure Warning system uses cameras to make sure the vehicle is aligned within the lines on the roadway and alerts the driver if he or she is drifting. There is also Forward Collision Warning, which alerts the driver if he or she is closing in too fast on the car ahead.

This new technology, coupled with the 2013 Accord’s standard safety features, also contributed to its 5-Star rating from VehicleTests.com. The vehicle comes with four-wheel anti-lock braking system, a total of six airbags, including front and rear head airbags and dual front side-mounted airbags. In addition, the Accord has emergency braking assist, electronic brake force distribution, both a driver and passenger head restraint whiplash protection system, stability and traction control and tire pressure monitoring. Additionally, the Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface and SMS text messaging function allows for hands-free phone usage, which means less distracted driving.
 
Go faster for less
The 2013 Accord comes in eight different trim levels, from the standard LX to the EXL, including the all-new Sport and top-of-the-line Touring models. Engine options include the 2.4L four-cylinder with 185 horsepower and the six-cylinder with 278 horsepower, which is more horsepower than the Lexus ES, BMW 328i or Mercedes Benz C Class. However, more power doesn’t mean less fuel economy. Due to its new Earth Dreams technology, the 2013 Accord offers better gas mileage than previous Accords that had less horsepower.

While the all-new Accord has a lot more horsepower, the cabin was extremely quiet during the road test. “Normal conversation volume measures in at 65 decibels,” says Kelly. “The new Accord measures in at an exceptional 56 decibels. It was amazing to see the amount of soundproofing that Honda put into the vehicle.” Under the hood of the 2013 Accord, you’ll find a thick soundproofing mat, which helps keeps most engine noise away from the cabin. However, Kelly says that the Accord also features additional rubber gaskets around the edges, which provides even more soundproofing.

As part of its road-test, VehicleTests.com drove the vehicle for 50 miles on the highway at 60 miles per hour with cruise-control, in order to test the fuel economy — listed at 35 miles per gallon. Kelly and his team found that the Accord they tested actually exceeded the listed miles per gallon by a good amount. However, he could not disclose the actual figures for legal reasons.

The American-made Honda Accord has been one of the best selling cars in history, which is one of the reasons why it has boasted the highest resell value of any car in its class and has won many resell value awards from Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds.com. In fact, New York Honda dealers are already celebrating its sales success - it is selling faster than any Honda in history.

Based on early reception, this vehicle is receiving — including the high rating from VehicleTests.com — it looks like Honda’s problem is not going to be market share because customers know a deal when they see one. With industry-leading standard features, a shockingly low MSRP and more technology and safety features than many more expensive luxury vehicles, Honda may have a challenge keeping up with the demand in the market place.

“The new Accord is selling faster than any Honda in history,” said Rob Sabbagh, President of the Tri-State Honda Dealers Association.

Source (with video of the road test);

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/review-2013-honda-accord-article-1.1193218

Honda Cars : 2013 Honda Accord Commercials | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda Cars : Car and Driver takes the 2013 Honda Accord for a First Drive | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

There were low points in the past few years when we doubted Honda, but Big H might be on its way back. The new, ninth-generation Accord is a convincing reminder of the company’s core values and—considering all Honda has been through, including an earthquake that smashed its Tochigi R&D center and floods in Thailand that crimped production—a triumphant return to form.

This latest Accord is 3.5 inches shorter bumper to bumper and 0.9 inch tighter at the wheelbase than its fleshy predecessor. Yet once again, Honda conducts a master class in packaging. Against its porcine predecessor, the 2013 car’s cabin dimensions vary hardly at all. The Accord still feels like one of the biggest cars in the segment, with two roomy and extra-comfortable front buckets and a back bench you and two friends can stretch out on. Moreover, the capacious trunk is even larger, maximum volume having increased by over one cubic foot.

The overhauled DOHC 2.4-liter four falls under the somewhat nonsensical Earth Dreams marketing slogan; more important, however, is that it represents Honda’s first whack at gasoline direct injection for the North American market. Your only automatic alternative to the six-speed manual with this engine is a Honda-built continuously variable transmission (CVT) called the G-Design Shift (Honda’s committee for cutesy names has been working overtime).

The 2.4-liter is quieter at idle than some other direct-injection engines with their clattering high-pressure injectors, particularly Hyundai’s. And the Honda likes to rev, sounding healthy and full throated at its 6400-rpm power peak. But it’s the CVT’s tuning that makes the Accord feel fleet. The typical rubber-band delay has been minimized, and the throttle responds curtly when you ask for acceleration (although sometimes with some audible transmission whine at high revs). In mountain snakers as well as on city streets, the CVT works so efficiently that it all but disappears, and you never notice the lack of a manual control. Of course, we’d prefer the optional six-speed stick, with its tightly spaced gates and short throws—but, finally, a belt-and-pulley transmission we can live with!

Somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of Accord buyers opt for a V-6, and for them, the 3.5-liter goes up slightly in horsepower to 278. But the news with this engine is its lighter weight due to items such as plastic cam covers and work on the Variable Cylinder Management system that increases the time the engine runs on three cylinders. In motion, the cylinder cutout is completely transparent, and the V-6 does what it’s supposed to: provide more sophisticated and effortless propulsion.

Once again, only in the Accord coupe can you pair the V-6 with a six-speed manual—a six-speed conventional auto is the only box in six-cylinder sedans. Out of corners, the car is a “one-tire fire” as the open differential sets the less-taxed wheel spinning madly. But it’s a very hot setup in eight-tenths driving, especially given that it’s front-wheel drive.

That’s because the Accord drives as if it were constructed of old-fashioned Honda “lightweightium.” It’s not the lightest car in its segment, but it feels it. The steering, the brakes, and the suspension work in harmonious balance to make the Accord seem agile and springy. Yes, instead of control arms, it now has struts in the nose, but so does a Porsche Cayman. The Accord hustles through turns with fog-free steering and little complaint from the tires and never seems to be working very hard. You wanted a mid-size family sedan that feels as if it were made of recycled CRXs? Here’s your car.

Lessons from the distressed Civic have been learned, and the Accord feels nicely appointed, with softer materials and better sound insulation. The dash is done to Honda’s familiar template of large, maxi-print gauges and many, many small buttons. You can pile on navigation and the associated extra panel of controls, which will be familiar to current-gen owners, or save your money and make do with a deep drawer hidden behind a somewhat clumsy-looking plastic door.

Our favorite option is a clever blind-spot camera that Honda calls LaneWatch. Mounted at the bottom of the passenger mirror, the camera switches on whenever you activate the turn signal or push the manual control button at the end of the turn-signal stalk. Another techie option is LED headlamps, Honda’s first and available on the top trim level. A regular hybrid model returns to the lineup, but not until next summer, some months after its plug-in variant arrives at dealerships. We’ve already driven a prototype of the latter.

With a flat roof and highly conservative rake to its glass, the Accord remains unapologetically a mid-size family car. You can complain about the design’s lack of sizzle but not its practicality. The door openings are wide, the step-over sills are narrow, and the beltline is kept unfashionably low to create huge glass portals. If people don’t see you because your vehicle is plain, at least you will see them.
There are more Accord models than ever. To chase younger buyers, there’s a 2.4-liter Sport trim with larger, 18-inch rims; a dual-tip exhaust; a rear spoiler; fog lights; and paddle shifters on cars equipped with the CVT. At the top end is the new Touring, a V-6–only model that is sort of a Honda Avalon with leather, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, a thumpy stereo, and so on.

Regardless of trim level, the new Accord proves that Honda wants to be Honda again.

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-honda-accord-sedan-first-drive-review

Honda Cars : 2013 Honda Accord first drive from Consumer Reports | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda Cars : National Post: Preview: 2013 Honda Accord has ‘styling that endures’ | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

The Honda Accord Coupe is an attractive car with sporty flair that will still accommodate four adults.

ByClare Dear, Special to National Post

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — At first glance, the 2013 Honda Accord doesn’t look much different than the current edition. While the automaker painstakingly pointed out the LED headlights — a first for Honda — the revised rear end, the sweeping curves here and flowing character lines there, it didn’t seem like much had changed — that is, until I was following another Accord sedan on our drive here and the owner of a current-generation model pulled up alongside a couple of colleagues ahead of me to check out their ride. The 2013 Accord is indeed different.

Perhaps it’s Honda’s pattern of making less than dramatic styling changes from generation to generation. Accord project leader Shoji Matsui says the goal is to create “styling that endures.” That said, one really needs to see this new kid side by side with its senior sibling to fully appreciate the subtle changes in the all-new ninth-generation Accord. There’s zero carryover from the past. It’s svelter, more flowing and less boxy when compared with the current car. The wheelbase has been trimmed, the overall length is shorter and the height has dropped. The width of the Accord has been increased, while the front track has been widened. The rear track is unchanged.

While the exterior package is trimmer, Honda says the Accord’s interior room is class leading, especially in the rear seat where legroom has been improved noticeably. Trunk space, too, has increased 50 litres to 447.

Less noticeable are the changes made to improve the car’s aerodynamics. Drag has been reduced 7%, which helps boost fuel efficiency and reduce wind noise. The A-pillars are now nearly flush with the windshield, while the windshield wipers fit tight to the rear edge of the hood. The underbody has been tailored to reduce drag with the addition of covers in front of the engine and transmission, as well as the rear wheels and trunk area.

On V6 models, additional covers have been added under the driver and front passenger’s floor areas. In addition, ground clearance is purposely lowest just in front of the rear wheels, causing a low-pressure area between the wheels that pulls the air flow around the rear wheels instead of across them. Improving visibility was a priority for the Accord design team. It has lowered the belt line and made the A-pillars thinner to minimize blind spots.

Reducing noise and vibration was another priority, with numerous steps taken to achieve that goal, including the addition of sound-blocking material to minimize the intrusion of road and engine noise and the use of a one-piece instrument panel that reduces rattles and squeaks. A sophisticated active sound and noise cancelling system is standard on all models, helping to further improve quietness in the cabin.

You’ll find the seats have been improved, compared with the previous generation. They are more supportive, thanks to many changes in the structure and materials — “Even better than NASA seats,” quipped one presenter in a shot at rival Nissan, which is touting space-age seat design in its new Altima.

Among other interior features, the seamless, soft-touch instrument panel is dominated by an eight-inch touchscreen digital display mounted high on the dash for easier viewing. The audio buttons are arranged below the screen, with the easy-to-use controls for the climate/ventilation system located further down on the centre stack. As an example of the attention to improving craftsmanship, considerable time was spent finding the right stitching to secure the leather wrapping on the steering wheel. The designers wanted stitching that felt good in the driver’s hands and, after evaluating numerous samples, opted for a new chain stitch to replace the conventional baseball stitching.

I wish I could tell you how successful these improvements are, but Honda has placed an embargo on mentioning any driving impressions. It also restricted me from telling you the pricing for the new Accord, but I will say it’s a reasonable guess that the price walk will get rolling at around $24,000 for the base LX sedan and work its way to the $35,000 neighbourhood for a top-of-the-line Touring V6.

Look for the specific numbers closer to the sedan’s on-sale date Sept. 24.

The sedan will be offered in four trim levels, starting with the LX, which comes with such standard features as heated front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, power driver’s seat and a rear-view camera. The Sport, EX-L and premium Touring model complete the sedan lineup. Honda is also offering a coupe, now a rarity among Japanese manufacturers after Toyota killed the Solara mid-sized two-door and Nissan axed its Altima coupe this year. The Accord Coupe is an attractive car with sporty flair that will still accommodate four adults. It will be offered in three trim levels: EX, EX-L Navi and EX-L V6 Navi.

Depending on trim, both the sedan and coupe are available with one of two new Earth Dreams engines — a direct-injected 2.4-litre four-cylinder, the base powerplant or a significantly updated 3.5L V6. The naturally aspirated four-cylinder, which operates on regular-grade fuel, generates 185 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 4% in hp and a 12% boost in torque compared with its predecessor. The addition of a high-flow exhaust system boosts the output to 189 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque in the Sport sedan.

The four-cylinder engine can be paired with either an all-new six-speed manual gearbox or a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) that helps improve fuel efficiency.

The V6 now delivers 278 hp (an increase of seven hp) and 252 lb-ft of torque, making it Honda’s most powerful V6 to date — and it also runs on regular fuel. It, too, can be mated to the six-speed manual gearbox or a new six-speed automatic. When paired with the automatic, the V6 is fitted with a new generation of variable cylinder management and a special SOHC i-VTEC valve train.
Depending on driving conditions, the engine will operate on three or all six cylinders to help boost fuel efficiency.

Both powertrains significantly surpass the previous-generation models in fuel efficiency. The four-cylinder sedan with the CVT has an estimated fuel consumption rating of 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 5.5 L/100 km on the highway. Its combined rating of 6.7 L/100 km is an 11% improvement. The V6 sedan with the automatic transmission has an estimated rating of 9.7 city, 5.7 highway and 7.9 L/100 km combined. This combined rating is an 8% improvement.

There’s an even more fuel-efficient Accord coming soon. Honda provided an opportunity to take a prototype version of its Accord plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sedan for a spin. Scheduled to launch early next year as a 2014 model, it’s powered by a new 2.0L Earth Dreams four-cylinder and two electric motors.

Source;
http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/09/09/preview-2013-honda-accord-has-styling-that-endures/

Honda Cars : All-New 2013 Honda Accord Brings Remarkable Levels of Luxury, Agility, Efficiency and Sophistication to Midsize Segment's Legendary Nameplate | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

09/05/2012 - TORRANCE, Calif.


Honda today announced the all-new 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe, a storied nameplate that will once again redefine sophistication, efficiency and driving joy in the midsize class. Completely redesigned for 2013, the all-new Honda Accord provides a host of powertrain, engineering, electronic and safety firsts combined with Honda's trademark visibility and smart design.

Better, not bigger, the completely new Honda Accord lineup includes Sedan and Coupe models powered by 4-cylinder, V-6 and hybrid powertrains, teamed to manual, automatic and continuously variable transmission (CVT) options. The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan goes on sale September 19, 2012, with the Coupe to follow on October 15, 2012. An all-new, two-motor 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Sedan is scheduled to debut in early 2013, followed by a conventional hybrid based on the same powertrain architecture in the summer of 2013.

Using the most high-strength steel in the model's history, the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe bodies combine sophisticated and athletic styling with remarkable aerodynamic streamlining. Revised Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structures improve frontal crash safety, making the all-new Accord one of few midsize offerings expected to excel in the upcoming small-overlap frontal barrier crash test.

All-new Earth Dreams™ powertrains include the first U.S. application of Honda's next-generation 2.4-liter direct-injected 4-cylinder engine. The 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe will also offer a more powerful and efficient V-6, and in early 2013, an all-new two-motor 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Sedan will debut. Four transmissions are available, including the first-ever application of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on 2.4-liter 4-cylinder models, a six-speed automatic on V-6 models, and unique 6-speed manual transmissions on 2.4-liter 4-cylinder models and the 3.5-liter V-6 Coupe. Fuel efficiency is the best ever for an Accord in the EPA Midsize class, with 4-cylinder models earning up to an EPA 36 mpg highway rating1 and V-6 models getting up to an EPA 34 mpg highway rating.1

Other new Accord technologies include the first application of the all-new cloud-based HondaLink™ system, which lets drivers put away their smartphones and still stay connected to the people, music and social media they love. Also debuting on the 2013 Accord is the exclusive available Honda LaneWatch™ blind-spot display, which uses a camera system mounted on the passenger mirror for an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway. The all-new 2013 Honda Accord also receives a rearview camera and an Expanded View Driver's Mirror as standard equipment.

New Accord Technology

•Honda's first use of direct injection (DI) in North America contributes to the 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine's excellent fuel efficiency and low emissions.

•A new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), available with the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, contributes to the Accord's improved fuel efficiency. Honda's unique G-Design Shift logic creates a connected feel and provides a more immediate acceleration response than conventional automatics or other CVT designs.

•New MacPherson-strut front suspension improves ride and handling qualities, while also reducing interior noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The new lighter aluminum and steel front subframe also uses a proprietary Honda friction-stir welding process.

•Three features highly coveted by consumers are now standard on every new Accord: Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®, USB/iPod® integration and rearview camera. No other manufacturer provides this level of standard equipment. Honda's Expanded View Driver's Mirror is also now standard equipment on every Accord.

•All Accord models feature standard Econ button with Eco Assist™

•Included on Accord EX, EX-L and Touring Sedan models and EX-L Coupe, Honda LaneWatch™ Blind Spot Display provides an expanded rear view of the passenger side roadway through the intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID).

•All-new Smart Entry & Push Button Start included on Accord EX, EX-L and Touring models.

•Included on EX-L and Touring Sedan and EX-L Coupe models, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) alerts the driver when a potential collision with another vehicle ahead is detected.

•Included on Accord EX-L and Touring models, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) alerts the driver when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use.

•New SmartVent™ side airbags mitigate the risk of excessive airbag deployment force while eliminating the need for the prior Accord's Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS). SmartVent also allows improved heating of the passenger seatback on EX-L and Touring models.

•The Accord Touring Sedan offers Honda's first light emitting diode (LED) projector headlights for improved visibility. In addition, LED daytime running lights (DRLs) are found on V-6 powered models, while LED brake lights come on all EX-L and Touring models.

•Exclusive to the Touring Sedan, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) allows the driver to set a desired speed and a distance interval behind the vehicle ahead.

•The all-new available HondaLink™ connected-car system allows owners to put their smartphones away and still stay connected to their favorite digital content.

Model Lineup

The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan will be available in six model choices, including an all-new top-spec Touring trim (LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, EX-L V6, and Touring), with the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan arriving early in 2013. The striking 2013 Honda Accord Coupe will be available in four model choices (LX-S, EX, EX-L and EX-L V6).

The 2013 Accord Sedan is available in nine exterior colors, including four metallic and five pearl colors. All-new colors include Champagne Frost Pearl, Hematite Metallic, Modern Steel Metallic and Obsidian Blue Pearl. The 2013 Accord Coupe is available in seven exterior colors, including two metallic, five pearl and one solid color. All-new colors include Modern Steel Metallic, Still Night Pearl, Tiger Eye Pearl and White Orchid Pearl.

Powertrain

As in previous generations, two gasoline engines are available on the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe. These include a new Earth Dreams™ 2.4-liter 4-cylinder with Honda's first use of direct injection in North America, and an Earth Dreams™ 3.5-liter V-6 with revised VTEC + VCM functions. The base 185-horsepower (hp) 4-cylinder engine is coupled to a choice of an efficient new continuously variable transmission (CVT), or a new fun-to-shift 6-speed manual transmission on selected models. The Accord Sport Sedan model provides a 189-horsepower version of the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. Meanwhile, Accord V-6 models feature a 278-horsepower 3.5-liter engine coupled to a 6-speed automatic or, in the V-6 Coupe, a 6-speed manual transmission.

In early 2013, the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid will debut Honda's new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder two-motor plug-in hybrid system. Available in the Sedan only, this system operates continuously through three modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric and direct-drive – to maximize fuel efficiency.

Body

Crisply styled and aerodynamically efficient, the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe body designs are the most sophisticated in Accord history. The 2013 Accord unit-body uses 55.8-percent high-tensile steel, more than in any previous Accord. In addition, 17.2-percent of the steel is now grade 780, 980 and 1,500 – extremely high grades that have never before been used in any Accord. This contributes to higher body rigidity and reduced weight, which directly benefits ride and handling, interior quietness, performance and efficiency and long-term durability.

With its contoured body-sides, the Sedan's exterior design is sleek, bold and decisive, while the Coupe's design is rakish, taut and athletic. Extensive use of under-covers improve aerodynamics for increased fuel efficiency, while other advances include available LED headlights, DRLs and brake lights, mirror-mounted turn signals, and the standard Expanded View Driver's Mirror that increases the driver's field of vision by 4.2 degrees.

Chassis

Literally every aspect of the Accord's chassis was reviewed or redesigned to create the best possible driving experience. Altogether, the highly rigid unit-body, refined suspension technology and advanced electronics define the 2013 Accord chassis as the most capable in model history. The new Accord is quieter and more responsive on city streets, smoother and more composed on the highway, and even more faithful to the driver's wishes on winding roads.

New features for Accord include a MacPherson strut front suspension, a steel and aluminum front subframe and electric power steering (EPS). Standard Active Noise Control (ANC) and Active Sound Control (ASC) on both 4-cylinder and V-6 models counteract engine noise, particularly at high rpm.

The lightweight MacPherson strut front suspension improves ride and handling qualities while also reducing interior noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The new aluminum and steel front subframe reduces weight and, in conjunction with the new independent multi-link rear suspension, further reduces NVH. Careful aerodynamic tailoring of the underbody and suspension systems provides additional noise reductions.

The new EPS setup uses an electric motor to assist the rack-and-pinion steering rather than the hydraulic assist of the previous Accord. The result is reduced steering effort and fuel consumption, with improved precision, feel and stability.

Alloy wheels are now standard across the Accord model range, and range in size from 16 to 18 inches. Four-wheel disc brakes are also standard, as is Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) with Brake Assist, a 4-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Hill start assist is also now standard on the Accord.

Interior

A completely new interior provides a level of luxury and craftsmanship never before seen in the Accord. Available in Black, Gray and Ivory cloth or leather, the interior combines welcoming comfort with an impressive range of available technologies. Standard features include redesigned seating, dual-zone automatic climate control and simplified controls and instrumentation.

Compared to the prior edition, both the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe offer spacious accommodations for five passengers, and a roomy trunk with a flatter load floor for greater utility. Although the Accord's length has decreased over three inches and the wheelbase is almost an inch shorter, key interior dimensions grow. Rear legroom increases over an inch, both front and rear shoulder room increase, and trunk space is up over a cubic foot. Altogether, the interior is remarkably quiet, stylish and upscale, with high-quality materials, exemplary fit and finish, and advanced seating comfort and ergonomics.

Contemporary onboard electronics help the Accord driver seamlessly interface with the latest generation of compatible personal mobile electronics. Standard features on all Accords include a bright, full-color 8-inch (diagonal) "intelligent" Multi-Information Display (i-MID), Bluetooth®2 HandsFreeLink® phone interface, Pandora® internet radio interface and an SMS text messaging feature. A new available Audio with touchscreen display and the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition and FM Traffic is also available.

The 2013 Accord is also the first Honda product to offer available HondaLink™ technology, which works with the owner's compatible smartphone to connect the Accord with music and media resources such as Aha™ by Harman, internet apps, roadside assistance and more. Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) are also available.

Safety

The 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe offer the greatest range of active and passive safety features in Honda history. Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) is standard on all Accord models, and available new technologies include Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

Collision safety engineering includes the updated Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which improves occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions, and the most extensive use of high-strength steel in Accord history. The Accord's impact-absorbing front body design can even help attenuate energy in the event of a frontal collision with a pedestrian.

Passive-safety features include six airbags, including dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. New SmartVent™ side airbags reduce the risk of excessive airbag deployment force and eliminate the need for the Accord's previous Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS).

Based on internal testing, both the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe are expected to earn a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and 5-star ratings in federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests3.

Manufacturing

Celebrating 30 years of Accord production in the United States, the all-new 2013 Honda represents the expanding capabilities of Honda in North America. Virtually every aspect of the Accord was developed, tested and finalized by Honda associates throughout California and Ohio. The Accord is produced4 in Ohio by Honda of America Mfg. Inc. using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Additional media information including detailed pricing, features and high-resolution photography of the 2013 Honda Accord is available at www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com.

Source; http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/all-new-2013-honda-accord-brings-remarkable-levels-of-luxury-agility-efficiency-and-sophistication-to-midsize-segment-s-legendary-nameplate