Honda Accord - Hits and misses

The current Honda Accord on sale is in its tenth generation. There must be something special about this car that has helped it to exist for decades. Over the years of its existence, the Accord has been sold in different types - a hatchback, a sedan, a coupe, and a crossover - across the globe. It’s the 4-door sedan that’s been the most popular one. Today, we’ll be looking at the hits and misses of this sedan in the Malaysian market.

Honda Accord Hits

Modern styling -

The latest generation Honda Accord is a masterpiece when it comes to design and styling. Honda has been successful in giving the Accord a modern look without compromising or diminishing the elegance and class. The Accord has always been a handsome car. With the latest features, Honda has just made it that much more desirable.

The front of the Accord is ruled by the set of massive LED headlights. They are an integral part of the front design and provides a distinctive look to the car. They are also very practical as well as provide much better illumination and visibility during the night when compared to the conventional halogen units. The style quotient here is further raised by the LED DRLs. These are cleverly placed adjacent to the headlights. The broad front chrome grille gives the Accord a different kind of road presence, and the sharp design of the front bumper adds a bit of sportiness.

The sportiness continues even at the side of the Accord. Its sleek character lines that run along the doors, and the very gorgeous design of the (two-tone) alloy wheels, give the car a striking appearance. The rear end gets two-piece combination LED tail lights which are very sleek in design, and gels perfectly with the Accord’s sophisticated silhouette.

Luxurious and feature-rich interior -

The interior of the Accord is a synonym for luxury. It cocoons its occupants in its calm and comfortable ambience. The materials here are of very high quality, and everything feels great to touch. The 7-inch advanced display at the centre of the dashboard allows you to connect your smartphone and enjoy the flawless system via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

The steering wheel is very sporty to hold and gives you a confidence of driving when you sit on the driver’s seat, which by the way, is 8-way power adjustable. Behind the steering wheel is the instrument cluster with an enhanced spindle pattern and font for clear readability.

Powerful engines -

The Accord comes with two engine options, 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre. The former produces 155 PS of max power and 190 Nm of peak torque. Whereas, the latter provides a max power of 175 PS and a peak torque of 225 Nm. These are some good numbers for a sedan of its size. Both the engines come mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Honda Sensing technology -

The new Honda Accord comes with the company’s latest advanced technology called the Honda Sensing. This is an added safety guide that utilizes a radar as well as a camera to detect imminent danger and reduce the likelihood of collision. It’s because of this feature that the Accord now comes with Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keep Assist System, Forward Collision Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System, and Adaptive Cruise Control. In short, the Honda Sensing technology has made the Accord a much safer proposition.

Honda Accord Misses 

 

Insufficient gears-

Irrespective of the variant you pick, the Accord comes with the same old 5-speed automatic gearbox. Since both the engine options of the Accord produces a good amount of power, hence, the car can attain some serious speeds. The old gearbox couldn’t keep up. Being only a 5-speed unit, it quickly runs out of breath when you’re driving enthusiastically or doing high speeds on open highways. The car reaches high revs and makes a lot of noise. An additional 6th gear would have really helped to utilize the full potential of the engines.

Manual transmission-

Both the engine options available with the Accord (2.0-litre and 2.4-litre), come with a 5-speed automatic transmission which gets the job done. Unfortunately, for the enthusiasts, there’s no manual gearbox here, not even as an option. This could turn off many people who like to drive a stick.

The latest generation Honda Accord with the modern styling, feature-rich interior, powerful engine, and the Honda Sensing technology has a good buy proposition. It does miss the enthusiasm of the manual gearbox, but it's minuscule if you compare it with the above positive features. If you planning to buy one and love driving an automatic, we suggest you go for the Accord, as it’s a win-win car.