The new Accord – smaller on the outside and maybe larger on the inside, better looking and competitively fuel efficient.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Sept. 5, 2012
Ninth-generation all-new 2013 Honda Accord – Pricing has not yet been announced. It does sport a 27/36 mpgUS city/highway rating with the base “Earth Dreams” 185 HP 2.4L and 6-speed AT. 24/34 mpgUS city/highway when mated to the 6-speed MT.
Honda this morning revealed more on the car that butters its bread. Although the 39 to 40 mpgUS highway rating we were hoping for has not come to pass, the all-new 2013 Accord’s 36 mpgUS highway does sit squarely in the upper middle of the pack… When have we ever seen a new Honda release target the middle? The Civic did it and it seems to be selling ok although with a number of compromises while we wait for the redesigned interior pieces for 2013.
The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan goes on sale September 19, 2012, with the Coupe to follow on October 15, 2012. An all-new, two-motor 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Sedan we will do a quick write-up on after this one gets up is scheduled to debut in early 2013, followed by a
conventional hybrid based on the same powertrain architecture next summer.
Construction
Using the most high-strength steel in the model's history, the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe combine crash resistant strength, style and aerodynamics. Revised Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure is said to improve frontal crash safety designed specifically to excel in the IIHS small-overlap frontal barrier crash test.
Drivertrain
Two gasoline engines will be available in the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe. These include a new Earth Dreams 2.4L I4 with Honda's first use of direct injection in North America. We will skip the 3.5L since it’s a worthless option.
The base 185 HP I4 is coupled to a choice of an efficient new continuously variable transmission (CVT) or a new fun-to-shift 6-speed manual transmission on selected models.
In early 2013, the 2014 Accord PHEV will debut Honda's new 2.0L I4 two-motor PHEV system. Available in the Sedan only, this system operates continuously through three modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric and direct-drive – to maximize fuel efficiency.
Fuel efficiency is the best ever for an Accord, with the I4 equipped with the AT earning an EPA rating of 36 mpg highway and with the fun to shift description of the 6-speed manual, it has been afflicted with a little of the Honda “
Buzz-bomb” effect but not bad as it turns over at just
2,164 RPM at 60 mph. Finally it is “ok” but could have been better by comparison to the
1,733 RPM of the 6-speed AT at 60 mph.
Honda Catches up with the rest of the world- Honda's first use of direct injection (DI) in North America contributes to the 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine's excellent fuel efficiency and low emissions.
- A new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), available with the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, contributes to the Accord's improved fuel efficiency. Honda's unique G-Design Shift logic creates a connected feel and provides a more immediate acceleration response than conventional automatics or other CVT designs. Nissan has a large smile on their face this morning for obvious reasons.
- New lighter aluminum and steel front subframe also uses a proprietary Honda friction-stir welding process.
- Every new Accord finally incorporates Bluetooth HandsFreeLink. USB/iPod integration is standard as well whereas a standard rearview camera is class leading!
- Expanded View Driver's Mirror is also now standard equipment on every Accord.
- All Accord models feature standard Econ button with Eco Assist
- Included on Accord EX, EX-L and Touring Sedan models and EX-L Coupe, Honda LaneWatch Blind Spot Display provides an expanded rear view of the passenger side roadway through the intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID).
- All-new Smart Entry & Push Button Start included on Accord EX, EX-L and Touring models.
- Included on EX-L and Touring Sedan and EX-L Coupe models, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) alerts the driver when a potential collision with another vehicle ahead is detected.
- Included on Accord EX-L and Touring models, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) alerts the driver when lane drift is detected without a turn signal in use.
- New SmartVent side airbags mitigate the risk of excessive airbag deployment force while eliminating the need for the prior Accord's Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS). SmartVent also allows improved heating of the passenger seatback on EX-L and Touring models.
- The Accord Touring Sedan offers Honda's first light emitting diode (LED) projector headlights for improved visibility. In addition, LED daytime running lights (DRLs) are found on V-6 powered models, while LED brake lights come on all EX-L and Touring models.
- Exclusive to the Touring Sedan, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) allows the driver to set a desired speed and a distance interval behind the vehicle ahead.
- The all-new available HondaLink connected-car system allows owners to put their smartphones away and still stay connected to their favorite digital content.
Body
The 2013 Accord unit-body uses 55.8-percent high-tensile steel contributing to improved body rigidity and reduced weight, which improves ride and handling in most instances, interior quietness, performance and efficiency.
Other features include higher trim LED headlights, DRLs and brake lights, mirror-mounted turn signals, and the standard Expanded View Driver's Mirror that increases the driver's field of vision by 4.2 degrees.
Other additions include a steel and aluminum front subframe, electric power steering (EPS), standard Active Noise Control (ANC) and Active Sound Control (ASC) on both 4-cylinder and V-6 models to counteract engine noise.
16 to 18 in alloys are standard across all Accords. Four-wheel discs with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), a 4-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control (TC), and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Hill start assist is also now standard on the Accord. All of these bring the Accord into the second decade of the 21st century very nicely indeed.
Inside
A completely new interior is available in Black, Gray and Ivory cloth or leather. Standard features include redesigned seating, dual-zone automatic climate control and simplified controls and instrumentation.
One small area that missed the mark of this upper trimmed 2013 Accord EX is the center “knob”?
The 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe offer a flatter load floor then the current Accord for greater utility. Although the Accord's length has decreased over three inches and the wheelbase is almost an inch shorter, key interior dimensions are said to have grown? Unfortunately, the interior volume is down a bit to just
103.2 cu. ft. from 106.0 cu. ft. in the current generation while cargo volume has grown a bit from 14.0 cu. ft. within the current generation Accord to
15.8 cu. ft. in the 2013. Adding them together, the Accord will no longer be a large car leaving that EPA description to the Sonata all by its lonesome.
This could be contentious as we heard this kind of thing with the Malibu and it was a disaster. Rear legroom increases over an inch, both front and rear shoulder room increase, and trunk space is up over a cubic foot.
Onboard electronics keep the Accord up to date with the latest generation of compatible personal mobile electronics. Standard features on all Accords include a bright,
full-color 8-inch (diagonal) "intelligent" Multi-Information Display (i-MID), Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface, Pandora internet radio interface and an SMS text messaging feature. A new available Audio with touchscreen display and the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition and FM Traffic is also available.
The 2013 Accord is also the first Honda product to offer available HondaLink technology, which works with the owner's compatible smartphone to connect the Accord with music and media resources such as Aha by Harman, internet apps, roadside assistance and more. Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) are also available.
Safety
The 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe offer the greatest range of active and passive safety features in Honda history. Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) is standard on all Accord models (finally!!!) and available new technologies include Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).
Passive-safety features include just six airbags, including dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. New SmartVent side airbags reduce the risk of excessive airbag deployment force and eliminate the need for the Accord's previous Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS).I am not sure if this is a good thing or not yet?
Based on internal testing, both the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe are expected to earn a 5-star ratings in federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests.
Early Conclusions
About all the detail we can provide for now as we wait for final pricing. And maybe we will have to drive more of these super mid-sizes in the near future? Who would have thought that Prius’ and Civic Hybrid’s were about all we had available just 5-years ago. Now we have B, C and D-Segment automobiles and even Crossovers (CX-5 anyone) that can blast through the 60 mpgUS threshold like a hot knife through warm butter. The new 2013 Accord is just the next one on that list
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