The Honda Accord sedan and coupe for the North American market, both best-selling mid-sized cars, have undergone a full model change with the 2013 models and are now in their ninth generation. The Accord has a 37-year history, and this model in particular has incorporated a large amount of new technology. An efficient packaging technology based on Honda’s unique “man maximum, machine minimum” concept has achieved larger cabin space and greater cargo capacity than previous models, while total length of the sedan has been shortened by 70 mm and of the coupe by 40 mm. The line-up of available power trains includes the newly developed L4 2.4-liter direct-injection engine, the V6 3.5-liter variable cylinder management engine equipped with added VTEC mechanism, and the three transmission options of a continuously variable transmission, a six-speed manual transmission, and a six-speed automatic transmission. The combinations of engine and transmission achieve a high-level balance of driving performance and fuel efficiency performance. This model also achieves a high level of safety performance and was given the highest ranking of five stars in the United States New Car Assessment Program (US-NCAP). (Based on Honda in-house data.)
Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.25 No.1 (13 - 22)