Joining the refreshed Honda Civic is its larger sibling, the D-segment Honda Accord. Unlike the Civic however, the Accord is all-new with a slew of changes; including a small-displacement turbocharged engine under the hood in keeping with Honda’s philosophy here of positioning small-displacement turbocharged engines as the premium offering.
Orders for the tenth-generation Accord has been open since the middle of the month and now we have all the details on what will most likely become the best-selling D-segment sedan in the country. To date, there are over 84,000 units of Accords on Malaysian roads.
Engine options will be limited to a sole variant this time around. You’ll find the same turbocharged 1.5-litre inline-four from the Civic and CR-V powering the Accord. Nonetheless, the mill itself has been given a little bump up in output to generate 198hp and 260Nm of torque. With the switch to the 1.5-litre turbo engine, the transmission also follows suit and is now the CVT found mated to the same engine in other models.
Variants will be limited to just two; the Accord 1.5 VTEC TC and Accord 1.5 TC-P. The most discerning factor will of course be the availability of Honda Sensing and a couple of cosmetic bits.
Keeping in line with its predecessor, the new Accord will retain the Honda Sensing suite of active safety and driver assistance tech. You’ll find Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keeping Assist System, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning, Auto High Beam and Adaptive Cruise Control with the addition of Low Speed Follow Function.
Being an all-new model, the Accord measures in a little large than its predecessor. Wheelbase is longer by 55mm which contributes to the increased rear legroom of an additional 48mm. To raise the bar on NVH (noise, vibrations, harshness) levels, Honda went with the laser brazing technique to join the roof to the chassis. Furthermore, spray foam was applied generously for sound insulation. Of course, a five-star Asean NCAP rating comes as no surprise.
Bells and whistles include an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat while the passenger gets a four-way Assistant Power Seat with Shoulder Switch (for the rear passenger to move the front passenger’s seat forward), driver’s seat memory function, Driver Attention Monitor, Walk Away Auto Lock and Remote Engine Start. Parking is made all the way easier as well with the Smart Parking Assist System and Brake Assist (recognises the border of parking spaces and assists the driver with steering, voice guidance and auto braking if necessary).
Expect standard kit such as LED headlights and taillights, 18-inch wheels, a wireless charger built into the centre console and a 360-degree multiview camera system (new to the Accord).
Entertainment is courtesy of a 8.0-inch touchscreen display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A 10-speaker system ensures that music will soothe any savage beast.
Now comes the most important part, pricing. Accord ownership is now a pricier proposition as it starts at RM185,900 for the Accord 1.5 TC while the Accord 1.5 TC-P will set you back RM195,900.
