2018 Honda Accord Has Been Unveiled
2018 Honda Accord is revealed, having been completely overhauled.
Honda revealed the reworked 2018 Honda Accord in Detroit. Along with the handsome yet aggressive looks, there’s a lot to dig into. It has a more rigid structure, two turbocharged engines and a whole new infotainment system.
Power to the wheels:
Base models will come with a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine rated for 192 horsepower with matching torque. For people wanting a little more, the 2.0 liter engine shares components with the Type-R and offers up 252 horses and 273 torques. The 2.0 liter engine comes with an industry first; a ten-speed automatic transmission in a front wheel drive car. The smaller engine comes with Hondas proven CVT.
While working on the new Accord, Honda has been listening to us. Not only has the volume knob returned for the audio system, but a six-speed, short-throw-shifting manual transmission is available for the Sport trimmed models.
For those that want to save on gas, Honda will again offer a hybrid version. The drivetrain is, as expected, based around a 2.0 liter Atkinson-cycle engine. The two electric motors don’t contain any heavy, rare earth metals though. Quite an achievement and most impressively, the design is all in-house.
Trimming the chassis:
In essence, this 2018 Honda Accord is the same overall size as today’s version. The differences are small, but important. Its wheelbase has an extra two inches, and width has grown by 0.39 inches. Overall length though, that has actually shrunk a little. However, interior space is significantly increased. Honda claims rear legroom is 1.9 inches longer, while overall passenger space increases to 106 cubic feet. Add that to the cargo space holding 17 cubic feet, and we think that’s going to be best in class.
More than 54% of the new structure for the 2018 Accord is made up of high-strength steel. That’s around 32% greater rigidity over the current model. Depending on the variation in options, the overall weight can be down by 176 pounds.
Historically, the trend has been for pillars to get bigger in cars. For this Accord however, Honda has squeezed the A pillars thinner by 20%. Mixed with the new low cowl, Honda tells us forward visibility is excellent.
All the tech all of the time:
So far, Honda has been lagging with the infotainment system quality on its cars. Bringing back physical knobs for the volume control and forward/back function is a very positive response to previous criticism. We sincerely hope the all-new, seven-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster along with the eight-inch touchscreen on the dashboard brings everything else up to scratch. Add the offer of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with 4G LTE Wi-Fi and it looks very good indeed. Include over-the-air system updates, and the 2018 Honda Accord looks as future-proofed for tech as it can be.
The biggest step forward in safety is the announcement that all 2018 Accords will feature Honda Sensing. The driver-assistance package includes things like adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and more. It’s a bold statement and the aim there appears to be collecting best in class awards. Particularly prestigious awards that require featuring those technologies as standard, rather than as options, to achieve highest the possible safety scores.
Ultimately:
There is no option for a coupe version of the 2018 Honda Accord. Therefore, this looks like the end of the line for the two door Accord. Still, Honda assures us this is the most refined, sporty and responsive Accord yet. Also promised, is a new level of quality and sophistication. From everything we see so far, that looks to be the case.
We think this is shaping up to be the best Accord yet, even without a coupe option. We will sorely miss that.
As expected, prices have not been announced and fuel economy figures are pending. However, we do know the 2018 Accord is due to launch in the fall of this year.
