Honda’s new generation Accord has been introduced a few hours ago. From our point of view, this seems like a brave move of the Japanese car manufacturer, because the 2018 Honda Accord has almost nothing in common with its predecessor. However, even though we can say that this is rather revolutionary than evolutionary move, it doesn’t mean that the famous sedan is losing its identity. On the contrary, the 10th generation Accord could easily surpass every previous version and here is why:
Performance changes of 2018 Honda Accord
Performance-wise, the 2018 Accord will be nothing you have used to. Both the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four and 3.5-liter V-6 won’t be part of the show anymore. Instead, the carmaker decided to go turbo. More precisely, the base sedan will use a 1.5-liter turbo inline-4 with 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Yes, the option is more powerful than the naturally aspirated predecessor for 7 horsepower and 11 lb-ft.
As for the optional 2.0-liter turbocharged, it’s derived from the Civic Type R, but instead of 306 horsepower, the engine is rated at 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Yes, it provides 26 hp and 21 lb-ft over the V6.
The engines are not aired with the same transmission. The 1.5-liter model comes in pair with a CVT for most of the trims, with an exception for the Sport version, which uses a six-speed manual. On the other hand, the 2.0-liter model uses a 10-speed automatic, while the Sport also comes with the Sport trim.
Platform and specs of the new sedan
The new engines are not the only things Honda has changed here. The 10th generation Accord uses a new platform. Well, not completely new, but borrowed from the new generation Civic. The architecture is a lot better than the previous one. It makes the popular mid-size sedan lighter and stiffer, and will most probably boost the car’s dynamics.
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The 2018 Honda Accord gets a bit larger footprint, which will be a big plus for the interior. From now on, the iconic vehicle will add 2.16 inches in length and 0.39 inches in width, yet it’s lowered for 0.59 inches, which makes it a lot sportier than the predecessor.
You can say that the 2018 Accord looks better or worse than today’s model, but this is a matter of taste. To be frank, even though it shares some cues with the latest Civic, the new model looks more attractive to us.
Cabin and technologies
The interior is a completely different story. That’s where only quality counts and where the new generation model definitely wins. The first thing we noticed is significantly thinner A-pillars on the 2018 Honda Accord. According to the carmaker, they are 20 percent thinner which boosts visibility. Plus, they are made of ultra-high-strength steel, which increases the rigidity of that part. The dashboard sports soft-touch instrument panel, while the car gets a new and countered steering wheel and paddle shifters. The optional 12-way power driver’s seat is something we strongly suggest because it’s additionally improved with four-way-adjustable lumbar support. Seats are generally better due to higher seatbacks, which are improving shoulder support, while armrests appear to be longer and wider. From seats are equipped with cooling and heating options, while the rear passengers can only heat up the atmosphere, but they provide additional 1.9 inches of legroom. In case you are wondering what’s with the car’s trunk, it’s also increased from 15.8 to 16.7 cubic feet.
The Japanese car manufacturer hasn’t forgotten to improve the car’s tech as well. The redesigned sedan gets standard Honda Sensing safety technology with automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, and traffic-sign recognition. There is a quite long list of available features such as emergency roadside assistance, remote locking and unlocking, remote engine start, stolen-vehicle tracking, remote diagnostics, geofencing, speed tracking, and all that comes as a part of HondaLink telematics. The Touring trim is better for a 6.0-inch head-up display, while you can also add some pretty useful stuff such as wireless device charging, Bluetooth, and 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi.
Hybrid is ready too
According to Honda, the 2018 Accord Hybrid will return to North America. They haven’t provided any details except that the car is getting a third-gen, Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder/dual-electric-motor system.
Arrival
The 2018 Honda Accord sedan will become available in dealerships this fall, but we don’t know the exact price at the moment.
