More Room, Still The Quality
by Ross Finlay (25 Feb 03)

The element of accord in the new Honda includes an unusual amount of co-operation between the Japanese company and its UK marketing subsidiary. Both the saloon models, on sale now, and the Tourers which will arrive in May, are built in Japan, and they're designed specifically for Europe, in which the UK is the biggest national market for the Accord, followed by Germany and Spain.

There's the usual chat about the Accord's handling having been tuned on the Nürburgring, because export models intended for this part of the world need to have a sportier feel than the ones marketed in North America, for example.

But it's at least as important that people from Honda in this country paid several visits to Japan, advising on UK customers' preferences in styling, trim and finish details - even what kind of sound the doors should make when they close - and acting as a bunch of dummies.

Umm - let's rephrase that: they offered themselves as six-foot real-life models, to make sure that the passenger accommodation wasn't designed round people at the Oriental norm of about five feet whatever it is.

That has certainly worked. The saloon may have some heavy-looking styling around the back, but it provides the kind of rear-seat room necessary if it isn't to be embarrassed by the very well packaged one-size-down Civic, as well as generous flat-floored luggage space. Honda may give a figure in litres (459) for the luggage volume, but it offers alternative capacities in other units too: large Samsonite suitcases, four; 9" diameter golf bags: ditto.

Altogether, the new car is a fair bit longer, a little wider and a little higher than the one it replaces, while the front and rear track have both been eased out, although the wheelbase remains unchanged.

Familiar Honda Attributes

You can take build quality, the fit and finish of the body panels and interior trim, and the overall engineering standards for granted. Honda hasn't dropped the plot in any of these areas. It has also paid close attention to the aerodynamics, claiming a very competitive drag coefficient of 0.26 for the saloon, only a hundredth up on the Insight coupé.

Quiet running is increasingly important in this class, and the new Accord has much more in the way of sound insulation than the model it has replaced, although road noise from coarser surfaces does get through.

Interior textures and colouring are certainly to European tastes, with the sportier models using more in the way of metal effect trim, and the Accord has rather attractive back-lit instrumentation. The new car is also noteworthy in another way, having been designed with proper rake and reach adjustment for the steering wheel. This is long overdue, and very welcome.

At launch, with a turbo diesel to come later in the year, the choice of petrol engines is between two-litre and 2.4-litre examples of Honda's twin cam, balancer shaft i-VTEC design. These power units, of course, just love high revs, reaching and holding them with no fuss or drama.

The two-litre models have 152bhp on tap, an increase of 8bhp over the previous Accords, and using engines very much the same as the ones fitted to the Stream and CR-V. They come with five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions, and there's an interesting variant in the 2.0 SE manual, which is geared for improved economy (38.2mpg combined) and much lower emissions at 176g/km, noticeable improvements on the 32.1mpg and 207g/km of its counterpart in the previous range. Other two-litre trim and equipment levels are Sport and Executive.

The Top Engine

Honda's DOHC i-VTEC technology makes its first appearance in the drive-by-wire 2.4-litre engine, which peaks at 187bhp, offers 164lb/ft of torque at 4500rpm, and with the latest six-speed manual gearbox lets the larger-capacity Executive and the 2.4-only Type S return 31.4mpg combined.

Both the 2.4-litre models are fitted with Honda's Vehicle Stability Assist system, and the more sportingly presented Type S (due to appear in the US as part of the Acura rather than Honda range) certainly looks the part, as well as being a quick car on varied types of road.

But that's not to talk down the two-litre models. These cars may be down on power compared with the bigger-engined types, but they do seem well balanced, and it's possible to push them on smartly along B-class country roads without any muscling around.

There's a well filled accessory catalogue with everything from sports bumpers and sports suspension, side skirts and a rear spoiler, to extra items of silver or wood-finish trim.

Two-litre prices start at £16,495 for the SE manual. The Sport costs £17,495 and the Executive £18,995. With the bigger engine, the Type S is in the catalogue at £19,095 and the range tops out with the Executive at £21,095. Automatic transmission is a £1000 extra on all models, except for the Type S, whose owners probably wouldn't be interested.

More later about some of the individual models in a quality range.

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