Back . . .

Extra-cost accessories run from the likes of a child's seat, a DVD/MP3 player and a tie-down cargo net for the boot, to brushed-metal sill plates, a very handy bike lift which hoists a cycle onto the roof rack without personal heaving, and a range of 17" alloy wheels to replace the standard five-spoke design.

Out on the road, the diesel saloon runs smoothly and quietly - noticeably more so, as mentioned in our launch report, than the estate, whose vast rear space tends to double as an echo chamber.

The engine is rarely referred to without some mention of the fact that it's Honda's first in-house turbo diesel. Perhaps the company has made too much play of the fact that until quite recently it regarded diesel cars generically as being "noisy, smoky, smelly and slow".

Of course, there's a case to be made that it wakened up rather late to the fact that some of the second-generation common rail engines by European manufacturers were a lot better than that string of Honda adjectives suggests.

It's all water under the bridge now, and there's another case to be made that the 2.2-litre Honda engine is one of the best of its kind on the world market: light but sturdy in construction, strong in mid-range with a torque peak of 250lb/ft at 2000rpm, Euro IV compliant with a CO2 figure matching many engines of smaller capacity, and very competitive when it comes to fuel economy.

The engine responds smartly to throttle movements on more sporting roads, but it provides lazy motorway cruising, as it wafts along at 70mph showing something like 2100rpm. And it's installed in a car which benefits from Honda's usual ruthless quality control.

Price: £20,213
Capacity: 2204cc
Power: 138bhp
0-62mph: 9.5 seconds
Maximum speed: 131mph
Economy: 61.4mpg extra urban, 52.3mpg combined
CO2 emissions: 143g/km
Maximum towing weight: 1500kg braked
Insurance: Group 12
Honda figures.

Second Opinion:
Compared with the rival European diesels about which Honda has been so sniffy, the unit in the Accord isn't enormously powerful, so you don't get the same kick in the back under acceleration as you do elsewhere. But overall performance, and particularly overtaking ability, is still impressive, even though Honda has (with justifiable confidence, as things have turned out) opted for five very widely spaced gear ratios rather than the more common six. As with the equivalent Civic, Honda has shown that it seems better at setting up its chassis when there's a diesel engine on board rather than a petrol one - certainly the Accord is a nifty mover, with excellent turn-in considering the extra weight under the bonnet. It's also a splendidly relaxed cruiser. Altogether this is a very impressive newcomer, and one of the best cars I've driven this year. David Finlay .

Back to Honda Road Test index
Back to main Road Test index