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Carsales Staff15 Jul 2017
NEWS

2018 Honda Accord revealed

Fresh-faced Honda Accord dumps V6, adds tech and is likely for Oz next year

Honda's 2018 Accord has been launched in the USA overnight, bringing a new design, new chassis and new engines.

Honda's pitch for its 10th-generation mid-size sedan, which now seems likely to be released in Australia after all, is simple – make is sexy, but keep it practical.

Although Honda talked up the idea of new technology coming to the sedan, save for a new 10-speed auto there's not much here that hasn't been seen before. Indeed, the car’s biggest drawcard will most likely be its design, which Honda describes as "sporty" five times in its press release.

On the technical side, Honda has ditched the V6 engine option from the Accord. Instead a pair of turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines are featured displacing 1.5 and 2.0 litres. The latter is a relative of the storming Civic Type R unit.

Adaptive dampers designed to improve ride comfort will be standard on all models in the US, where it will be produced.

And every US-market (at least) Accord will also be fitted with the Honda Sensing safety suite, which comprises semi-automated driving aids including radar-based adaptive cruise control with traffic sign recognition and low-speed follow functionality, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning and road departure mitigation.

Honda says it's targeting top NCAP safety ratings for the new model.

At the US launch of the 2018 Accord, senior vice president of Honda Cars America, Jeff Conrad, said the new design will sway buyers.

"We are redefining the Honda Accord for a new generation of buyers by bringing something unexpected that challenges the idea of what a mainstream sedan can be," he said.

The front-wheel drive sedan is a big seller in the USA, where more than 13 million Accords have found homes since it was launched in 1976. The vehicle will be built in the US at Honda's Marysville plant in Ohio.

Not confirmed for Australia
Although there's a strong chance the new model will be offered in Australia, local Honda Accord sales have plummeted in recent years, making the local arm’s job more challenging.

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins recently told motoring.com.au that he's confident the Accord would work in Australia but stopped short of confirming its arrival.

"That is still a very challenging segment, but we still think there is a place for Accord in our line-up and definitely a market opportunity there we want to fill," he said.

"There are still some hurdles to overcome with it, but we are progressing."

In the USA there is also a hybrid version of the new 2018 Honda Accord, which Collins said would be a must for the local market.

"We still believe it [Accord] needs to be our technological flagship and hybrid needs to be part of that mix," stated the Honda Australia boss.

Inside the 2018 Honda Accord
The new Accord is wider than its predecessor and rides on a longer wheelbase which yields more cabin space. Honda’s delivered more boot capacity too even though the body is slightly shorter overall. It is also lower than the current model.

Presenting an "athletic" stance with its long bonnet and assertive front-end design, the Accord driver now sits lower while rear seat occupants get more legroom.

Top-shelf models will get 12-way power-adjustable driver seat -- heated and ventilated -- while back seat passengers get heated seats too.

The cockpit is centred around an 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system that ditches the current Civic's touch-sensitive volume control for a physical dial.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality will mirror some smartphone features and some models will get automatic Bluetooth phone pairing, wireless device charging and Wi-Fi-enabled system updates.

Honda says all major touchpoints have higher quality materials too.

V6 replaced with Type R power
Entry-level Honda Accord sedans will be powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that is rated at 141kW/260Nm. The four is paired with a CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic or a six-speed manual. We don’t expect the manual to make it Down Under.

The brawnier 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that replaces the Accord V6 produces 185kW/370Nm. This engine is mated to the new 10-speed automatic transmission, which Honda claims is a world-first for a front-drive car.

Honda will also launch a new Accord Hybrid car which pairs a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with "Honda-developed electric motors that are the first drive motors in the world to use magnets containing no heavy rare-earth metals", the car-maker claims.

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Written byCarsales Staff
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