The Honda Accord is celebrating its 50th birthday today, June 9, and like many 50-year-olds, it’s about to make some changes to its looks and some improvements to what’s underneath. Call it a makeover, because a new report says Honda is looking at dropping the New Balance sneakers, golf shirts, and jorts for something a little more stylish.
Sharper New Styling With 0 Series Inspiration
Honda Hybrid Sedan Prototype (2)Honda
“Customers will see a substantially redesigned Accord that will feel like a new model,” American Honda’s head of product planning Gary Robinson told Automotive News. The “pretty major” changes will show up to dealers in the second half of next year and could also include the S+ Shift system from the Prelude coupe.
Base Trim Engine
1.5L Inline-4 Turbo
Base Trim Transmission
CVT
Base Trim Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
192 HP @6000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
192 lb.-ft. @ 1700 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
29/37/32 MPG
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
The company is seeing more buyers making a shift back from SUVs to sedans. Sticker price affordability and expensive gas get some of the credit, but Honda is also saying sedan buyers want more sportiness, and it needs to deliver on all of those.
“People who buy sedans now buy them because they love sedans,” Robinson told Automotive News. “They tend to be more oriented toward sporty designs.” That likely means a new look with a narrower grille, slimmer headlights, and sharper angular lines; something more crisp than the current soft-looking Accord.
Ironically, the new shape will take inspiration from Honda’s 0 Series electric sedan. That ultra-futuristic car was canceled earlier this year as part of the brand’s hard shift away from EVs.
Related
Honda’s Stalwart Sedan Just Celebrated A Historic Milestone, And You Didn’t Even Notice
The Accord has lived for half a century. Here’s a look at how it all began and why the car holds an important place in US automotive history.
S+ Shift, a simulated manual mode for hybrids that launched on the Prelude, is likely to make an appearance in the refreshed Accord. By the end of the decade, it might be the only form of transmission available in the car at all.
Next Accord Might Have No Transmission At All
11 Generations Of AccordHonda
The same report says that the next-generation of the car, set for 2030, could have no transmission. It could go hybrid-only, using Honda’s current system that drives the car using only the electric motor in most driving. The engine powers the tires only in certain situations, and is direct drive.
Honda isn’t likely to bring back the V6 Accord using its upcoming V6 hybrid system for SUVs, but it should get Honda’s next-generation four-cylinder hybrid system. That one is set to launch in the Honda lineup next year, with 10% better fuel economy, a 30% lower cost, and the option of AWD using a rear-mounted motor.
That big change will probably not arrive until nearer the Accord’s 55th birthday. This year, though, is its 50th. The Accord arrived just ahead of the US Bicentennial celebration, and since then the company has sold 15 million units. 13 million of those cars were built in Ohio.
Related
Honda Accord Generations: Everything You Need To Know In One Place
One of the most popular sedans in the US, the Honda Accord has morphed into a near-full-size car with premium finishes and a hybrid-heavy lineup.
It took 12 years to hit the first million, and the next year (1989) it became the best-selling car in the US. By 2004, it was up to 10 million sales, though the pace has slowed down thanks to the rise of SUVs like the Honda Pilot.
50 is a big deal for a car brand like this, but while the Accord can still kick and stretch, Honda isn’t doing much to celebrate. Not even a commemorative sticker or a special edition. The CarBuzz team might have to try and use its exhaust to blow out some candles.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Though the midsize sedan market has shrunk, Honda still owns a quarter of that market, and that’s a lot of cars. A move to hybrid-only would put it years behind the Toyota Camry’s move to do the same, but that’s not necessarily going to hurt it.
Instead, if Honda gives it the makeover the report suggests, the Accord could pull ahead of Camry for desirability. The newest Camry is still largely the car that went on sale in 2017. The Accord, then, would be much newer, and newer generally means better tech and a better drive.
Source: Automotive News
