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Honda Accord review
September 5, 2011
IT”S NO SECRET that we love the Accord, endorsing it as our D-segment Best Buy for the last three years – and that over weighty rivals like the C-Class, 3 Series and A4 which take the lion’s share of segment sales. But the landscape has changed since the Accord sedan and Tourer wagon were released in SA late in 2006. Diesels are down to 12% of the market from 20% back then, and demand for estates has dwindled as the bulk of sales migrated to the new crop of affordable mid-size SUVs.
Not expecting fireworks, Honda limited the Accord’s mid-life update to subtle styling updates, improved NVH and additional safety features. First revealed at the Geneva motor show, the models for SA are now here, displaying revisions to the bumpers, grille and headlight, the latter now sporting clear instead of amber lenses.
Top-spec models get bi-xenons with active cornering and what Honda calls High Beam Support for better night vision. All models are also now fitted with 17-inch alloys as customers showed little interest in the previous 16s.
Cabin changes include dark silver fascia panels, bright silver inserts on the door handles and handbrake, and stitching on the leather seats in grey instead of black as before. Thicker carpets and rear window, plus additional under-hood insulation together boost refinement, the steering is sharper, while revised damper rates have improved both high-speed stability and ride quality.
The sedan’s petrol offering retains the same 115kW 2.0-litre and 148kW 2.4-litre i-VTEC engines, mated to either a six-speed manual or five-speed manual. Pick of the range however is the revised 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel, now boosted to 132kW and 380Nm of torque, coupled to the manual transmission only. A combined fuel index of 5.8ℓ/100km and CO2 rating of 151g/km add to the appeal. The diesel auto derivatives still make do with a 110kW output, but feature improved cold starting and a taller top gear.
Extra safety kit on the 2.4 Exclusive petrol models goes under Honda’s Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) rubric and comprises three separate technologies: collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. (Click on this link <insert link> to see how these systems work.)
While prices have escalated, ranging from R303 000 for the entry 2.0-litre to R431 200 for the top diesel Tourer wagon, the additional safety kit and specification would have added up to R35 000 to the base price of comparable German rivals.
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