By Manny N. de los Reyes
HONDA CARS PHILIPPINES Inc. (HCPI) unveiled last week its all-new 10th-generation Accord at an understatedly elegant event at the upscale Blackbird restaurant in Makati City.
Targeted at those who want to rediscover the luxury and comfort of a true executive sedan while still avoiding the fuel consumption of a big inline-four or V6 petrol engine, the new Accord is powered by a 1.5-liter Earth Dreams Technology VTEC turbo-four engine borrowed from the Civic but tweaked to generate higher power and torque outputs (190ps/243Nm) — making the new Accord even more powerful than its 2.4-liter predecessor.
Having made its world debut in 1976, the Accord is Honda’s second-longest running nameplate in its global lineup. It is also one of Honda’s best-selling models with close to 23 million units sold.
Built on a new platform, the latest Accord, now on its tenth generation, sports a sleek, coupe-like profile reminiscent of the current Civic, but rendered in larger proportions. It has a wider and lower stance, a lower roofline, and a dramatically longer and lower hood.
Up front, Honda’s signature chrome wing grille and streamlined wing-shaped full-LED headlights with auto leveling highlight the bold and upright front fascia. Combined with the chiseled hood and LED foglights, the new Accord presents a distinctive and compelling presence on the road.
Viewed from the side, the new Accord’s lower roofline and sharp upswept bodylines create a stylish yet dynamic appeal with its strong wheel arches and concave door panels further emphasizing its character lines.
Completing the sleek and dynamic profile of the Accord are aggressive, cleverly designed and engineered 18-inch noise-reducing alloy wheels.
At the rear, the brightly trimmed rear fascia is as athletic and energetically designed as the front end, with a slightly longer overhang. The C-shape of the LED taillights complements the design of the front LED DRLs, contributing to the Accord’s distinctive visage.
To further streamline the Accord, Honda adopted a laser brazing welding process for joining the roof and the side panels, creating a cleaner exterior appearance with no need for a garnish over the rain channels.
Inside, the new Accord boasts a more spacious, more premium, and tech-savvy interior. With Honda’s typical meticulous attention to the tactile and visual quality of materials used to elevate the overall premium feeling of the cabin, the new Accord is fitted with premium, high-quality, and soft touch materials throughout the cabin with tasteful application of leather, wood and metal accents throughout.
The new Accord’s wider body and longer wheelbase also contribute to its improved cabin space. This is particularly noticeable in the rear cabin where an additional 48mm of legroom now provides heightened comfort and luxury for the rear passengers. The Accord now also gets an improved cargo capacity as it now boasts a 573-liter trunk space, 123 liters more than its predecessor.
The latest Accord implements an array of advanced technologies normally found in vehicles from a class higher. These features not only elevate the Accord in terms of technological offerings, but also take driver and passenger convenience to a higher level.
For the main instrumentation, the Accord comes with a 7-inch TFT display (left side) that can present a wide range of information and a speedometer on the right side of the instrument package. The Accord now also sports a new 8-inch Display Audio system, which is one of the most advanced systems offered by Honda to date. The 8-inch touchscreen lets you control the vehicle’s audio system, display settings, Honda SENSING functions and other advanced features through swipe, tap and pinch gestures. The intuitive and easy-to-use system has a simplified menu structure and customizable shortcuts for commonly used features and applications. This system also comes with Navigation and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other advanced convenience features such as Smart Key with Push Button Start and Remote Engine Start, Walk Away Auto Lock and Speed-sensing Door Lock, Electric Parking Brake with Auto Brake Hold, Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror are standard.
As if all these state-of-the-art convenience and safety features and technologies aren’t enough, Honda saw fit to include the cutting-edge Honda SENSING technology. Honda SENSING aids the driver to prevent or effectively respond to dangerous driving situations. It’s a suite of advanced driver-assist safety features such as Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), and Auto High Beam.
Honda SENSING receives information from two different devices; one is a millimeter-wave radar mounted on the front bumper and the other is a monocular camera mounted on the upper, inner part of the windshield. Both devices work simultaneously to monitor various conditions in front of the vehicle and give feedback to the driver by providing corrective actions to aid in preventing the collision.
Together with Honda SENSING, safety features such as six air bags, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Stop Signal, front and rear parking sensors, Multiview Reverse Camera with Guidelines, LaneWatch Camera, and Straight Driving Assist come as standard.
Power from the turbo engine is transmitted through a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) developed based on Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology. Sport Mode is now available which enhances the Accord’s throttle and steering response. This, together with the CVT’s paddle shifters, give the driver a greater control over the vehicle’s transmission operation and power delivery. At the same time, Honda’s Eco Assist System, which consists of the ECON mode and Eco-Coaching Ambient Light, is still available to help encourage drivers achieve fuel-efficient driving.
The new Accord has an SRP of P2,288,000 and will be available in three colors: Platinum White Pearl, Crystal Black, and Modern Steel Metallic.
