The 7th Generation Honda Accord is Here
The long awaited 7th Generation Honda Accord was officially launched today and, as widely anticipated, it’s the ‘US version’ which has the ‘big look’ that Honda believes buyers in ASEAN prefer. The latest generation of one of the more popular Honda models is available in three versions – 2.0 VTi, 2.4 VTi-L and 3.0 V6 – of which the 2.0 VTi and 2.4VTi-L are assembled locally at the Honda Malaysia plant in Melaka, while the 3.0 V6 is a Completely Built-Up (CBU) import from the Honda Thailand plant.
The launch of the new Accord, which was voted ‘Car of the Year’ in Japan in 2002, would have occurred earlier, had it not been for the phenomenal demand for the City which upset production planning at the plant. The need to get more units of City out so as to not get the waiting period become intolerable to customers (as it is, some 10% of bookings were said to be cancelled, for which Honda Malaysia refunded the booking fee without question) meant that production start-up for the new Accord had to be delayed.
“When we prepared the production plan for our plant last year, we intended to start assembly of one new model every quarter. We started with the CR-V first, as you recall, and then during the second quarter, we commenced with the City. However, we had not expected that the City would be so well received and the orders exceeded our forecast very much. As the waiting list started to get longer, we decided that we should delay the launch of the Accord a bit so that we could supply more units of City first,” Seiji Kuraishi, Managing Director/CEO of Honda Malaysia told AUTOWORLD.COM.MY at the launch today.
Mr Kuraishi revealed that the company expects to sell around 1,500 units of the new Accord by the end of 2003; since 1990, some 50,000 Accords have been sold in Malaysia but assembly of the model began in the early 1980s (the first generation arrived here in 1978). The 1,500 units will account for about 8.3% of the 18,000 Hondas expected to be sold in 2003. he is optimistic about 2004 sales and, at this time, has indicated that the target is 24,000 units.
Introducing the new Accord to guests and media at the official launch, Mr Kuraishi said that this generation incorporates the most changes in its 27-year history. Besides increased precision and craftsmanship in build quality, advanced technologies are also included to deliver new levels of sporty driving pleasure in luxurious comfort.
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“The latest Accord has been developed to set a benchmark for “Sporty Premium Sedan” by providing luxurious interior detail and equipment, world-class safety, environmental and aerodynamic performance, and new engines which are more powerful and also more fuel-efficient,” he said.
The styling, as mentioned earlier, follows that of the US version which is notable with the large headlights (the European and Japanese versions have slimmer headlights). However, the platform – ie the mechanical aspects – are identical in all versions and it is only in trim details that there are differences from market to market. Mr Kuraishi said that there were some differences for the ASEAN model which were incorporated after conducting surveys on preferences.
Aerodynamic efficiency of the new bodystyle is impressive at 0.26 Cd and this is apparent in the tight interfacing of body panels with only a slight inset for glass panels, allowing the air to flow smoothly around the car.
A lot of effort went into keeping body weight low, but without sacrificing safety. The rigid bodyshell was developed using Honda’s own G-CON (G-Force Control) technology which ensures that there is ample impact absorption to prevent serious injuries from occurring to the occupants during an accident. Honda also goes on step further by having crash tests where collisions are from different sides, at its own state-of-the-art crash test facility.
Additionally, the new Accord comes with a full complement of safety devices for front and rear passengers. Dual airbags with phased deployment are standard at the front and the front seats also have a special design to reduce whiplash. On the Accord V6, there are also side airbags fitted to the front seats.
For Active Safety, all versions have 4-wheel disc brake ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) while the V6 also gets Traction Control System (TCS). Mr Kuraishi said that the omission in the two less expensive versions was due to some technical issues but did not rule out the possibility that this could be offered later on, perhaps when there is a facelift a couple of years later.
The 2.0 VTi and 2.4 VTi-L, which will account for about 95% of new Accord sales (the 2.4 VTi-L alone is expected to account for 55% to 60%) have the latest i-VTEC engine which first appeared in the CR-V. These are twincam 16-valve units which have continuously varied opening and closing times of the intake vales according to driving conditions. Output figures are as follow:
2.0 i-VTEC : 110 kW/150 ps at 6000 rpm, 186 Nm at 4500 rpm
2.4 i-VTEC : 118 kW/160 ps at 5500 rpm, 218 Nm at 4500 rpm
The 2.4-litre engine employs a DBW (drive-by-wire) electronic throttle control system. Throttle valve control by the accelerator pedal is converted to an electric signal, and the ECU calculates the optimum throttle opening based on vehicle speed and engine rpm. The actuator directly controls the throttle valve, for precise, linear throttle control.
As for the Accord V6, this uses a SOHC VTEC engine which produces 177 kW/240 ps at 6250 rpm and 287 Nm of torque at 5000 rpm. This engine is the most popular in the US market and many of its components are imported from the US factories which is one of the reasons why the version is pretty expensive. Honda Malaysia does not expect to sell many units (5% of total Accords at most) but feels that it is a good idea to offer it as a flagship of the range.
All new Accords come with automatic transmissions only, these having five forward ratios and electronic management for smooth and efficient operation. The compact transmission unit employs a low-friction clutch, a high-efficiency, ultra-thin torque converter, and double-row idle gear. Its programming has Grade Logic Control to provide more ‘intelligent’ shifting on slopes.
The chassis has independent suspension all round, double wishbones in front and a 5-link double wishbone layout at the rear which comes off a floating subframe. The subframe helps isolate vibrations while giving the suspension a more stable mounting point which can be customised to optimise linkage geometry.
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Though the new Accord’s interior looks more spacious than before, no specific claims on this aspect are mentioned. However, it is clear that a lot of attention was given to making the cabin comfortable and pleasant for any kind of journey. Redesigned seats help to reduce body fatigue and for the driver, there is steering column adjustment which tilts and also telescopes and 8-way adjustable seat(2.4VTi-L and V6).
The driver gets an expansive instrument panel well shielded from glare inside a binnacle. The instrument lighting varies in brightness and is luminous in character for highly legibility.
Equipment levels vary according to version with the imported V6 having lots of ‘goodies’, including a sunroof and even turn indicators on the door mirrors (a’la Mercedes). Leather upholstery is standard for the V6 and 2.4 VTi-L while the 2.0 VTi has fabric upholstery. A light brown trim colour with cream makes the interior look brighter and more spacious.
The new Accord goes on sale from today at 51 dealers nationwide and prices in Peninsula Malaysia are as follow:
Accord 2.0 VTi : RM139,800
Accord 2.4 VTi-L : RM163,800
Accord 3.0 V6 : RM209,800
Prices are for metallic finish and include insurance and roadtax (private registration). All new Accords come with a 3-year warranty and 2 years of free maintenance.
For more information, click on this link to visit Honda Malaysia’s website:
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