Honda Accord: Although we live in an SUV/crossover world today, the Honda Accord still holds great importance. It was third in North America’s best-selling Honda car last year, after the Civic and CR-V. Honda will continue to stick with its mid-size model. On Thursday, Honda unveiled the 11th generation of its automaker.
The Accord, like most Honda-branded cars in recent years, is a heavily modified version of its predecessor. The length of the new Accord is 195.7 inches. The rear track has been extended by 0.4 inches. Other than that, the dimensions are the same between the old and new Accords. Although the bodywork is brand new, it is in keeping with Honda’s subtle restyling of Civic and HR-V, CR-V, and Pilot. The interior is very similar to that of the new Civic.
The 2023 Honda Accord Gets a Clever Hybrid Powertrain
The powertrain is the big news. The 1.5-liter turbo four engines is still available. It produces 192 hp, 192 lb-ft of torque, and a standard CVT transmission (the manual Accord was discontinued in 2020). These power figures are the same as the old Accord’s but the engine has a new catalyst, a direct-injection system, and a stiffer crankshaft. The 1.5 promises Honda more smoothness and lower emissions.
The new hybrid powertrain replaces the 2.0-liter turbo four. However, it has some tuning differences. It is a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated direct-injection four-cylinder that runs on the Atkinson cycle. Although the internal-combustion engine is primarily used to charge the battery it can also drive front wheels using two ratios in certain situations.
The wheels are usually driven by an electrical motor and the engine is assisted by an electric starter-generator. It is described by Car and Driver as a complicated, three-speed automatic and works well. The total system output is 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft. This is less than the 2.0T’s 252 HP and 273 Lb-ft, but the electric motor’s torque should make it a great choice for real-world performance. It should also bring significant fuel economy improvements.
LX and EX trims receive the 1.5-liter turbo. The hybrid system comes standard with Sport, EX, Sport-L, Sport–L and Touring. All cars have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The LX and EX get a 7-inch screen and the higher models get a 12.3-inch screen. All cars have a digital gauge cluster. Honda anticipates hybrid models to account for 50 percent of Accord sales. All models get a stiffer chassis with suspension tweaks. We had a great experience with the previous Accord, so we are high on this model.
Although pricing has not been disclosed yet, we do not expect the Accord will be significantly more expensive than the 2022 model. The base 2022 Accord LX has a price tag of $27,615 while the top-trim Touring is $39,545.
