HONDA’S MID-SIZE SEDAN, the Accord, has undergone a complete makeover and arrives in Honda showrooms in December.
However, it won’t be an easy road; buyers have been deserting traditional three-box sedans in favour of SUVs and even a stylish entrant like the new Accord will have to fight for sales.
The new Honda Accord is the most sophisticated, fuel efficient and comfortable Accord ever, delivering a new level of emotional appeal and premium quality to the flagship sedan that Honda (and its dealers) hope will sway a substantial number of buyers
All-new from the ground up and built on a new platform, the 10th generation Accord provides refined and engaging performance, a more stylish interior and improved packaging, as well as the latest advanced Honda Sensing safety and driver-assist technologies.
The flagship passenger model in Honda Australia’s line-up, the latest Accord takes an entirely new approach to performance by featuring two advanced new turbocharged and electrified powertrains – a new 1.5-litre DOHC direct-injected VTEC turbo with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC) and a third-generation Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) two-motor hybrid system that utilises a 2.0-litre DOHC Atkinson-cycle engine paired with two electric motors.
“In recreating Accord for its 10th generation, Honda’s designers and engineers sought to convey ‘absolute confidence’ in every element of design and performance,” said Honda Australia Director, Mr. Stephen Collins.
“They have built upon the bedrock character of Accord over 43 years and nine generations, and while we don’t have large volumes in mind for this car, it is certainly one that is important to the Honda line-up.”
“The all-new Accord also marks the return of Honda’s hybrid technology to the mainstream Australian market, supporting the company’s global electrification strategy and our aim for 25 per cent of the local range to be electrified by 2025.
“With the exception of NSX, this is the first hybrid in our local line-up since 2016 and understandably the Australian market and consumer preferences have evolved in that time, so it’s great to be able to give Honda customers that option once again.”
One model, two engines
The new Accord is available in a single, high-specification VTi-LX level for the Australian market, but with the choice of two powertrains – a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with CVT or a two-motor hybrid system utilising a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle engine paired with two electric motors and an E-CVT.
The Accord VTi-LX with the 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is $47,990 (plus on-road costs), while the Accord VTi-LX with the hybrid powertrain is $50,490 (plus on road costs), a reduction of $8,500 or 14.4 percent compared to the previous generation Accord hybrid.
What’s new?
Virtually everything on the Accord is new and substantially reengineered. Major new engineering features and technologies for the 10th generation Accord redesign include:
Body
- 29 percent ultra-high strength steel, the highest ever for a mass-produced Honda
- ACE front body structure with crash stroke design
- Laser-braised roof skin
- Rear crush zones with Softzone technology
- First use of structural adhesives for the model
- First application of acoustic spray foam for the model
- More aerodynamically efficient: a three per cent reduction of CdA
- Lighter by 19kg (body-in-white)
- More rigid (24 percent greater torsional stiffness, 32 percent greater bending stiffness)
- Active Shutter Grille
Chassis
- Aluminium intensive front suspension with new ultra-rigid aluminium and steel subframe
- Multi-link rear suspension with floating subframe
- Two-Mode Driving System
- Dual-pinion, variable-ratio electronic power steering
- Electronic Brake Booster (EBB)
- Electric Parking Brake (EPB) with Automatic Brake Hold
- Six per cent lighter chassis (excluding wheels and tyres)
- New 18-inch alloy wheel design
Powertrain
- 1.5-litre direct-injected VTEC Turbo with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC)
- Third-generation Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) two-motor hybrid power unit
Connectivity and Driver-Assist Technology
- Standard Honda Sensing
- 8-inch Display Audio
- 6-inch Head-Up Display (HUD)
- Remote engine start/stop
- Audio system Internet connection using Wi-Fi
- Wireless device charging
The Accord’s footprint is smaller, with more interior space.
The move to four-cylinder engines across the line-up is a key component of this approach, allowing a shorter engine bay while also reducing weight and improving dynamic performance. The new Accord has a longer wheelbase (up 55mm), a lower overall height (down 15mm) and wider body (up 12mm), wider wheel tracks (6mm front, 18mm rear), a shortened overall length (down 26mm) and a lower, sportier seating position (25mm front, 20mm rear).
A sweeping glasshouse, positioned farther back on the body, brings a new look to the Accord.
The combined effect of these changes is shorter overhangs, a bold front fascia, a long and low bonnet, and a visual centre of gravity moved closer to the rear wheels.
Viewed head-on, the new Accord’s glasshouse angles in more sharply from the window sills to the roof, emphasising the wide lower body, while inside the cabin the seats have been moved slightly inward, which contributes to improved hip, shoulder and head room.
Also, the longer wheelbase allowed designers to move the second-row seats substantially rearward, giving Accord 49mm of additional rear legroom. Overall passenger volume has increased, while luggage capacity of the boot space has improved by 113 litres, or almost 25 percent, to 570 litres, aided by the repackaging of the hybrid battery pack beneath the rear seats.
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 nine-lamp full-LED headlights and LED fog lights. The chiselled bonnet features a distinctive and aggressive raised centre, while the deeply sculpted body sides enhance the visual length and strength of the lower body.
A new laser braising process joins the roof to the body side panels and removes the need for a garnish over the rain channels. The low and wide rear view is finished off with an upswept bootlid and distinctive LED light-pipe tail lights. Overall aerodynamic efficiency is improved by approximately three percent to make it the most streamlined Accord yet.
Elegant, tech-savvy cabin
The new Accord features a panoramic forward view enabled by its lower cowl and by front roof pillars that are 20 percent narrower and moved rearward on the lower – 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 doorsills.
A more intricately contoured sport-inspired steering wheel with deep-set thumb rests and paddle shifters complement the Accord’s more sophisticated and sporty performance capabilities. Meticulous attention to the tactile and visual quality of surface materials is evident throughout.
The inboard positioning of the seats provides improved freedom of movement added to by longer, wider and more deeply padded front and rear arm rests, while the newly designed seats feature taller shoulder bolstering. The driver’s seat now has 12-way power adjustment with the addition of height-adjustable lumbar support.
The tech-savvy and easy-to-use 2019 Accord cabin features an all-new Human-Machine Interface (HMI) that includes a 7-inch TFT digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface with physical volume and tuning knobs. More intuitive, smartphone-like features and functionality including customisable app tiles and home-screen shortcuts. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, is included.
The Accord also offers remote engine start/stop, wireless device charging and a new 6-inch driver’s Head-Up Display (HUD) that can show vehicle speed, tachometer, shift lever position, turn-by-turn directions, compass and Honda Sensing status and warning lights for Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), plus Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF).
Turbocharged and electrified powertrains
The 2019 Accord offers a choice of two advanced new powerplants – a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the third-generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid powertrain technology.
The new 1.5-litre, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC) and VTEC produces a peak of 140kW of power at 5500rpm and 260Nm of torque from 1600 to 5000rpm, up from 129kW at 6200rpm and 225Nm at 4000rpm on the existing normally-aspirated 2.4-litre model – improvements of 8.5 percent and 15.5 percent respectively. The new 1.5-litre turbo engine is mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
The Accord 1.5-litre turbo has a fuel consumption rating of 6.5L/100 km for the combined test result, along with CO2 emissions of 149 g/km – reductions of more than 20 percent when compared to the outgoing Accord VTi-L with the 2.4-litre four cylinder engine.
The new Accord hybrid is powered by the third-generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid technology featuring a 2.0-litre 16-valve DOHC Atkinson cycle engine with greater than 40 percent thermal efficiency – the highest for any mass-produced Honda engine – paired with two electric motors. The hybrid unit produces 158kW of power from 5000 to 6000rpm and peak torque of 315Nm from 0-2000rpm.
Advances in engine control tuning together with other technologies combine to create excellent power characteristics, exceptional fuel efficiency and very low exhaust emissions. Key contributors to the improved thermal efficiency of the engine include improved exhaust gas recirculation and reductions in operating friction. This clean-running engine meets LEV3-AT-PZEV (SULEV30) / Interim Tier3 Bin30 emission standards in the US, while contributing to a fuel consumption rating of 4.3L/ 100 km and CO2 emissions of just 98 g/km for the Accord hybrid in Australia.
The Accord two-motor system operates without the need for a conventional automatic transmission, instead employing an E-CVT (Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission) or Drive Force Transfer System as it is also known. Additionally, a new, more compact intelligent power unit (IPU), containing the hybrid battery pack and its control systems, is now mounted under the rear floor instead of in the boot, freeing up cargo space.
Advanced safety and driver-assist technology
Both variants of the Accord feature the full suite of Honda Sensing safety and driver-assist technologies as standard equipment. Honda Sensing on the new Accord includes Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF) and High Beam Support System.
Additional driver-assist technologies include LaneWatch, front and rear parking sensors, Smart Parking Assist (SPA) with Rear Collision Mitigation Braking System, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Driver Attention Monitor, along with a multi-view camera system for front, side, rear and 360-degree top down views.
Standard advanced active and passive safety systems include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
2019 Honda Accord pricing (plus on road costs)
| Grade | Engine | Price |
| VTi-LX | 1.5L Turbo | $ 47,990 |
| VTi-LX | 2.0L Hybrid | $ 50,490 |
The new Accord will go on sale around Australia in December 2019.
Once we have tested and assessed the new Honda Accord, seniordriveraus will bring you a comprehensive review, including everything the over-50 driver needs to know.