San Diego — My 2023 Honda Accord is a looker. From its smoky headlights to its streamlined shoulders to its fastback roof, it’s the most good-looking sedan Honda has made.
However just like the serene blue of the Pacific Ocean out my aspect window, the Accord’s clean purple floor belies the turmoil beneath.
Within the U.S., state and federal governments are forcing automakers to go electrical and Accord, America’s best-selling retail sedan, is on the bleeding fringe of what that transition seems to be like. Now on supplier tons, the Accord has juggled its lineup as a way to fulfill authorities guidelines, focusing its Eleventh-generation mannequin on a hybrid-electric powertrain as a way to encourage buyer adoption.
The hybrid choice has accounted for roughly 10% of Accord gross sales, however Honda is narrowing the selection of drivetrains to fulfill an formidable aim of fifty% hybrid adoption for its new mannequin and keep away from looming federal and California fines coming with 2026 laws.
Gone is the two.0-liter, 252-horsepower turbo-4 liter engine beloved by efficiency fans. Whereas the sedan’s 1.5-liter turbo-4 did quantity gross sales, the beefy 2.0-liter and hybrid provided a fork within the street: an choice for efficiency patrons and one for inexperienced prospects. Just like the hybrid, the two.0-liter served a passionate area of interest for about 10%-of-volume with Sport, Sport L, EX-L and Touring fashions. Now Honda will solely supply its 204-horsepower hybrid in higher trims, hoping to maintain fans within the fold with a mix of favor, dealing with, torque and gobsmacking 44 mpg gasoline financial system.
My crimson, black-trimmed Sport L (L for leather-based inside) is one saucy sedan.
I used to be already obsessed with the tenth-gen Accord that arrived in my driveway in 2017 like Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” album: A blockbuster. The automobile’s athletic stance, fastback and sizzling wheels — even the sculpted, horizontal inside — rivaled the BMW 3-series that I used to be additionally testing.
The last-gen Accord’s huge black maw was the one dissonant word within the visible symphony. Honda designers have mounted that for the brand new mannequin. The spare grille is now in sync with the remainder of the sculpture, punctuating the skinny headlights (completely different than the last-gen, jewel-like LED peepers). The Accord is a front-wheel-driver per custom, but it surely seems to be just like the rear-wheel-drive Bimmer with that lengthy hood and fastback settled over its haunches.
At a time when the Lucid Air and Tesla Mannequin S are setting business type with spare, easy strains, the Accord matches proper in. The rocker panels have been cleaned up, the door handles stripped of keyholes, the rear taillights built-in seamlessly into the bodywork. Physique by Jake.
As readers of this column know, I’ve been writing in regards to the shrinking hole between luxurious and mainstream automobiles for a while. Why pay a premium worth when a mainstream badge delivers the identical type, tech and energy for 1000’s much less? Mazda CX-5, Kia Stinger and VW Arteon are automobiles that may compete on spec with luxurious automobiles of their section.
The 252-horse Accord was such a automobile, its efficiency on par with a turbo-4-powered Bimmer 5-series costing 20 grand extra. No extra. The Accord’s 204-horse hybrid and 181-horse turbo-4 are strong mainstream numbers much like opponents Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry.
Honda’s prospects are largely unaware of the acute regulatory stress automakers are beneath. So it’s as much as Honda to make the laws appear as unobtrusive as attainable at the same time as selections dry up for the inner combustion engines prospects choose.
In Honda’s favor: governments are forcing ALL manufacturers into related battery-powered drivetrains. So luxurious makers are additionally quick shedding what differentiates them: refined, clean, inline-6 cylinder and V-8 drivetrains.
Accord desires to make use of the hybrid as a bridge to electrical propulsion, and it deploys some cool tech to hook you.
I exited my lodge car parking zone north of San Diego on battery energy similar to my Tesla Mannequin 3. Assuming average temperatures and lightweight right-foot utility, Accord will keep in EV mode till about 25 mph, at which level the two.0-liter, inline-4-banger kicks in. EV MODE textual content lights up the beautiful digital instrument show alongside a battery indicator to emphasise the purpose.
Honda has stuffed the Accord with insulation so it’s quieter than ever and the transition to gasoline energy is clean. There are nonetheless paddle shifters on my Accord Sport — however they’re now not for shifting gears. As a substitute, I used electrical motor regeneration with the hybrid’s single-speed transmission.
That’s proper, the Accord Sport Hybrid now has regen paddles like a Chevy Bolt. Cruising the San Diego ‘burbs, I managed one-pedal driving like a Bolt or Tesla (although the Honda received’t come to a full cease on regen like these pure EVs).
Coming into Interstate 5, I matted the accelerator and the Hybrid squirted into visitors like an EV, utilizing the electrical motor’s substantial 247 pound-feet of low-end torque. The mix of no gearbox, electrical torque, ECO mode and whisper-quiet cabin gave a particular EV really feel.
Exiting I-5, I headed into the mountains towards two of my favourite locations: Julian Pie Firm (the Traverse Metropolis Pie Firm of the left coast) and the California 78 twisties that get you there. I toggled SPORT mode — which firmed the steering and provoked a growl from the engine, and plunged in — leaving the REGEN paddle on full for preliminary brake help as I charged into corners. GRRRRRR.
Like the synthetic growl of a BMW i4 EV, however with one huge distinction: the Accord Hybrid has a large, 560 miles of vary with gasoline infrastructure that’s the bane of electrical automobiles. Like forcing Individuals again to wired, landline telephones from wi-fi cell telephones, the EV transition can be troublesome.
Driving the Accord is something however. The sedan is usually intuitive, now aided by front-wheel torque-vectoring that makes turn-in even sharper. Whereas sister CR-V SUV shares related drivetrains, the Accord Sport is a reminder of why we love sedans.
The inside is a lifeless ringer for the CR-V with Honda’s stunning — and ergonomically environment friendly — honeycomb-accented sprint structure full with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (the bottom, LX and EX fashions nonetheless require wires), crisp adaptive cruise controls, roomy console storage and multi-functional digital instrument and infotainment shows commonplace at an reasonably priced $29K. Try my favourite cloth-seat Sport mannequin with wi-fi charger (so that you don’t drain your battery with wi-fi navigation) and also you’re out the door for $33,795.
Miss the two.0-liter gasoline engine? It’s proper subsequent door on the showroom making a steroid-fed 315 horsepower within the roomy Civic Kind R. It’s good to have selections.
2023 Honda Accord
Car sort: Entrance engine, front-wheel-drive five-passenger sedan
Value: $29,485, together with $1,095 vacation spot price ($35,425 Sport L and $38,985 Touring as examined)
Powerplants: 1.5-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder; gas-electric hybrid with 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder and electrical motor
Energy: 181 horsepower, 192 pound-feet torque (turbo-4); 204 horsepower, 247 pound-feet torque (hybrid)
Transmission: Constantly-variable transmission (turbo-4); Single-speed transmission (hybrid)
Efficiency: 0-60 mph, 7.1 seconds (hybrid, Automotive and Driver); vary, 563 miles (hybrid)
Weight: 3,488 kilos (Sport L Hybrid as examined)
Gas financial system: EPA est. mpg 46 metropolis/41 freeway/44 mixed (Sport L Hybrid as examined)
Report card
Highs: Beautiful in and out; sharp dealing with
Lows: Wi-fi smartphone apps not provided on entry-level trims; fewer engine selections
General: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit Information. Discover him at [email protected] or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
