All-New Honda Accord 2.0 Hybrid e: HEV SPORT – the Accord just gets better and better!

Looks, luxury, low noise, high tech, economical, sporty, quiet – it’s the serene sports car!

This is the 11th generation of the world-famous Honda Accord. With each iteration, the Accord has improved: safety, comfort and enjoyment in the car itself, for you and me as driver or family member, and for the environment as a whole.

As we supplement, or even supplant, the incredibly successful current engines with electric power, the benefits are plain to see (and feel!). This model of the premium Accord has 146 hp from the two-litre engine alone, but the addition of an extra 57 hp from the two electric motors gives an added boost to its sporty performance (and without boosting your bill at Woqod!).

The new premium Accord design sports a long bonnet and distinctive sloping roofline that adds a sleek, sporty personality. Up front, the dark headlamps and a blacked-out grille show a sharper, minimalist design. At the rear, the Accord’s strength is emphasised by the fastback-inspired roofline, the new horizontal tail lights right across the boot, and the wider stance of the rear wheels. 

The new Accord’s suspension and steering now give a smoother, more compliant ride, but if you spend time through twisty streets you’ll find the Accord has lost neither its handling edge nor its nimble step. It’s a pleasure to drive, especially with the head-up display and panoramic windows, and at the back of your mind you know it’s economical power. Nothing is superfluous, nothing is wasted.

The front-wheel drive Accord Hybrid’s fourth-generation powertrain is also nearly identical to that of the all-wheel-drive CR-V Hybrid. This generation’s powerful electric traction motor and 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine now output a combined 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. Drivers have a choice of four drive modes (Econ, Normal, Sport and Individual) which adjust the properties of the accelerator pedal, climate controls, steering and suspension to emphasise performance, comfort or efficient driving.

In Normal or Econ mode, the engine is so quiet that it’s barely audible under most conditions. Sport mode is noteworthy for making the most use of the gasoline engine to squeeze additional performance from the electric drive motor. Whatever mode you are in, the performance is good with improved midrange torque that makes the hybrid much more responsive around town and on the highway.

 

Inside, the new Accord’s dashboard is clean with a horizontal cross-hatched grille stretching from door to door, integrating the air vents into a single wide element. Below the grill are the climate control knobs and the dual USB type-C connections. Above are the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and, on this model, the 12.3-inch main display. The Accord’s largest-ever touchscreen is home to the latest generation of simplified Honda’s infotainment software plus a fantastic Bose sound system. And Honda even kept the volume knob for this generation, responding to the requests of so many drivers that they prefer physical volume control rather than stabbing at a touchscreen while driving Well done, Honda!

Lots of people are now familiar with Alexa and Siri, so now in the Accord, we have Google Built-In which also enables Google Assistant voice command. Just say, ‘Hey Google, set the temperature to 19 degrees,’ or ‘set the volume to 25%’ and have the vehicle obey my commands without touching a button or taking my eyes off the road. Google Assistant can’t send text messages, though it can initiate voice calls.

 

ENGINE 2.0-litre petrol plus two electric motors, four-cylinder DOHC, 16-valve with multi-port injection

TRANSMISSION Automatic, smooth electronic E-CVT, paddle gear shifters and 4 driving modes (Economy, Normal, Sport and Individual)

MAX POWER 204 hp (150 kW) total

MAX TORQUE 335 Nm (247 lb-ft)

INTERIOR

The doors are large and the access is easy. And inside, it’s so spacious, so comfortable, so luxurious even. There’s lots of legroom and the boot is spacious. the new Accord’s dashboard is clean with a horizontal cross-hatched grille stretching from door to door, integrating the air vents into a single wide element. Below the grill are the climate control knobs and the dual USB type-C connections. Above are the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and, for Hybrid models, the 12.3-inch main display. The Accord’s largest-ever touchscreen is home to the latest generation of simplified Honda infotainment software, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And Honda even kept the volume knob for this generation, responding to the requests of so many drivers that they prefer physical volume control rather than stabbing at a touchscreen while driving Well done, Honda!

 

EXTERIOR

Contrasted against some automotive design trends that grow more colourful and more complicated, not to say garish, the new Accord design says ‘stylish simplicity’. It sports a long bonnet/hood and a distinctive sloping roofline that adds a sleek, sporty personality. Up front, the dark headlamps and a blacked-out grille show a sharper, minimalist design. Overall, it’s a pleasing design that doesn’t shout ‘Look at me!’. At the rear, the Accord’s strength is emphasised by the fastback-inspired roofline, the new horizontal tail lights right across the boot/trunk, and the wider stance of the rear wheels. 

 

SAFETY/SECURITY

Almost every feature in the Honda Sensing suite of driver aid technologies has been updated for the 2024 model year thanks to new camera and radar sensors with wider fields of view.  Starting with the base model, every Accord now features forward collision mitigation with brake assist, lane-keeping steering assist with road departure mitigation and adaptive cruise control that now features Traffic Jam Assist and low-speed following.

Take a look at the new premium Accord Hybrid and all their other models in the new Honda showroom on East Industrial Street. The friendly staff will give you all the information you need and the coffee’s great, too!

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Author: Terry Sutcliffe

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