Ahead of its US market debut, Japanese carmaker Honda has revealed a bit of its new Accord family saloon with a rendering, showing off the “dramatic new styling direction” that the immensely popular car (in the States, at least) will take in its latest iteration.
Honda appears to be returning to form with the new Accord, with the marque promising “the most fun-to-drive, premium, and dramatically-styled Accord ever.” Bold claims from a carmaker that, for the most part, has made competent but otherwise uninspiring cars for most of the last decade. The initial details are good, with spy shots circulating on the ‘net showing off the Accord with a fastback-style rump, much like the new Civic.
The Accord all make its debut in Detroit on July 14th (US-time), where it is expected to regain its prime position as one of the most popular family cars. The new Accord is expected to find motivation from two turbocharged petrol powerplants: The entry-level engine is expected to be a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-pot unit as found in the US-market Civic Si and CRV SUV, while a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit (a lower-tuned version of the engine found in the Civic Type R) will find its way into higher-end models. These engines will replace the existing 2.4-litre and 3.5-litre powerplants in current models.
The smaller petrol engine can be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic, while the larger engine will also have a six-speed manual, though automatic duties are taken on by a 10-speed automatic torque-converter unit. Will the new fastback style be enough to tempt Australian buyers into an Accord though, and reverse the trend that’s seen large family saloons die out in our market? Time will tell.
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