Honda showcased a new direction for America’s retail best-selling midsize sedan with the world debut of a more stylish, sporty and premium 2018 Honda Accord that launches in fall 2017.
The 10th-generation Honda Accord is new from the ground up and features a lighter and more rigid body structure, an advanced new chassis design, two all-new, high-torque direct-injected and turbocharged engines, the world’s first 10-speed automatic transmission for a front-drive car and a new generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid technology, along with a host of new safety, driver-assistive and connected-car technologies – all wrapped in a more sophisticated, sleek and athletic design with top class interior space and comfort.
Next-Generation Accord Design and Packaging
In reimagining the Accord for its 10th-generation rebirth, Honda designers and engineers went back to the fundamentals of proportion and stance with a sporting and athletic appearance, like a sprinter in the blocks. The approach reinvigorates classic Honda design principles, such as a low and wide body, expansive visibility and sporty seating position, and then translating them into a thoroughly modern, sporty and premium Honda Accord sedan design.
A sweeping greenhouse positioned farther back on the body completes the new stance and proportion of the next-generation Accord. The combined effect of these changes is a more premium look, highlighted by shorter overhangs, a bold front fascia, a long and low hood, and a visual center of gravity moved closer to the rear wheels.
Viewed head-on, the new Honda Accord’s greenhouse also angles in more dramatically from the window sills to the roof, further emphasizing the wide lower body, while inside the cabin the seats have been moved slightly inward that contributes to improved hip, shoulder and head room while enhancing occupants’ freedom of movement. Also, the longer wheelbase allowed designers to move the second-row seats substantially rearward, giving Accord almost 2 extra inches of rear leg room to offer one of the most spacious rear seating areas in its class.
Elegant and modern exterior detailing compliments the Accord’s new, more dynamic design. The bold and upright front fascia is highlighted by Honda’s signature chrome wing front grille positioned above a large main air intake and flanked by available 9-lamp full-LED headlights and LED fog lights. The chiseled hood features a distinctive and aggressive raised center, and the deeply sculpted body sides enhance the visual length and strength of the lower body.
Further, a new laser brazing process that joins the dramatically arching roof to the body side panels creates a clean appearance with no garnish over the rain channels. The similarly low and wide rear view is finished off with an upswept decklid, distinctive LED light-pipe taillights and cleanly integrated dual exhaust ports. Overall aerodynamic efficiency is improved by approximately 3 percent (based on EX trim) to make it the most streamlined Accord yet.
Elegant and Tech Savvy Cabin
The 2018 Accord also boasts a larger, more premium and tech savvy interior that compliments its athletic and elegant body design, delivering a level of quality and premium feel that belies Honda Accord’s mainstream sedan status.
The new Accord features a panoramic forward view that is enabled by its lower cowl and by front roof pillars that are 20 percent narrower and moved rearward relative to the driver’s seating position. The new soft-touch instrument panel features an ultra-thin profile and three-tier design with a strong upper deck that describes a continuous arc from its outboard section through the side door sills, giving a sense of strength and visual continuity.
A more intricately contoured sport inspired steering wheel with deep-set thumb rests and available paddle shifters compliment the Accord’s more sophisticated and sporty performance capabilities. Meticulous attention to the tactile and visual quality of surface materials and decorations communicates modernity and soft-spoken elegance throughout the cabin.
The inboard positioning of the seats provides for improved freedom of movement and is complimented by longer, wider and more deeply padded arm rests, front and rear; while the Accord’s newly designed seats feature taller shoulder bolstering for a more premium appearance and improved lateral support. New high-accuracy seat padding with variable firmness improves seating comfort and support. The driver’s seat now has available 12-way power adjustment with height-adjustable lumbar support, and passenger comfort is further enhanced by available new heated and ventilated front seats and by improved available rear seat heating with both seat bottom and seat back heating elements.
The tech-savvy and easy-to-use 2018 Honda Accord cabin also features an all-new HMI that includes an ultra-slim 7-inch TFT driver’s meter and a new 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface with physical volume and tuning knobs and more intuitive, smartphone-like features and functionality including customizable app tiles and home-screen shortcuts, along with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ compatibility. The Accord also will offer the next-generation of HondaLink telematics with new capabilities including emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking and engine start, stolen vehicle tracking, remote diagnostics, geofencing, speed tracking and more.
Touring trims of both 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter models also feature a new 6-inch driver’s Head Up Display with selectable information, including speed, engine rpm, turn-by-turn navigation, and Traffic Sign Recognition. Additional new or improved connected-car technologies available on the 2018 Accord include wireless device charging, automatic Bluetooth® phone pairing with Near Field Communication technology, 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi-enabled over-the-air system updates.
Audio systems vary by trim, starting with 4 speakers and 160 watts on LX, 8 speakers and 180 watts on Sport and EX trims, and 10 speakers and 450 watts on EX-L and Touring trims. All models feature USB charging ports (two 2.5-amp ports on EX and above) along with Bluetooth connectivity.
Accord Performance: Turbocharged and Electrified
The 2018 Honda Accord takes an entirely new approach to performance by featuring three advanced new powerplants – two direct-injected and turbocharged 4-cylinder engines and the third generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid powertrain technology. The 2018 Accord also features a new Honda-developed 10-speed automatic transmission (10AT) with the 2.0-liter turbo engine, the first of its kind for a front-wheel-drive car, and an available 6-speed manual transmission for both turbocharged engines.
The new 1.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC) produces a peak 192 horsepower (HP) at 5,500 rpm and 192 lb-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 5,000 rpm, up from 185 HP at 6,400 rpm and 181 lb.-ft. at 3,900 rpm on the existing, normally aspirated 2.4-liter model. The new 1.5-liter turbo is mated to a Honda continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) or, in Sport trim, to a CVT or a 6-speed manual transmission (6MT).
The Accord can also be equipped with a new 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with i-VTEC® valvetrain paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission or, in Sport trim, to the 10AT or an available 6MT. The new 2.0-liter turbo, sharing much of its design with the race-bred 2017 Civic Type R, produces 252 HP at 6,500 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm, compared to 278 HP at 6,200 rpm and 252 lb.-ft. at 4,900 rpm for the 3.5-liter V6 that it replaces.
Both turbocharged engines utilize a host of new technologies, including high-efficiency low-inertia turbos, variable valve timing, low-pressure-loss air intake and high-accuracy direct injection, to deliver immediate and powerful response along while still anticipated to receive top level fuel economy ratings. The two new automatic transmissions – the CVT for the 1.5-liter engine and new 10AT for the 2.0-liter engine – take greater advantage of available torque while maximizing quietness and efficiency during highway cruising. The redesigned CVT has an 11 percent lower ratio compared to the current version for more powerful launch performance, while the new 10AT is 22 lbs. lighter, has a 68 percent wider overall ratio range with a 43 percent lower first gear, and a 17 percent taller top gear compared to the current Accord’s six-speed automatic.
