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| 2013 Honda Accord |
Ninth-generation Accord offers all-new direct-injected powertrain, class-leading safety innovations and upcoming plug-in hybrid model
Honda today announced the all-new 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe, a storied nameplate that will once again redefine sophistication, efficiency and driving joy in the midsize class.
Completely redesigned for 2013, the all-new Honda Accord provides a host of powertrain, engineering, electronic and safety firsts combined with Honda##Q##s trademark visibility and smart design.
Better, not bigger, the completely new Honda Accord lineup includes Sedan and Coupe models powered by 4-cylinder, V-6 and hybrid powertrains, teamed to manual, automatic and continuously variable transmission (CVT) options.
The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan goes on sale September 19, 2012, with the Coupe to follow on October 15, 2012. An all-new, two-motor 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Sedan is scheduled to debut in early 2013, followed by a conventional hybrid based on the same powertrain architecture in the summer of 2013.
Using the most high-strength steel in the model##Q##s history, the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe bodies combine sophisticated and athletic styling with remarkable aerodynamic streamlining.
Revised Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structures improve frontal crash safety, making the all-new Accord one of few midsize offerings expected to excel in the upcoming small-overlap frontal barrier crash test.
All-new Earth Dreams™ powertrains include the first U.S. application of Honda##Q##s next-generation 2.4-liter direct-injected 4-cylinder engine.
The 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe will also offer a more powerful and efficient V-6, and in early 2013, an all-new two-motor 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Sedan will debut. Four transmissions are available, including the first-ever application of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on 2.4-liter 4-cylinder models, a six-speed automatic on V-6 models, and unique 6-speed manual transmissions on 2.4-liter 4-cylinder models and the 3.5-liter V-6 Coupe. Fuel efficiency is the best ever for an Accord in the EPA Midsize class, with 4-cylinder models earning up to an EPA 36 mpg highway rating1 and V-6 models getting up to an EPA 34 mpg highway rating.1
Other new Accord technologies include the first application of the all-new cloud-based HondaLink™ system, which lets drivers put away their smartphones and still stay connected to the people, music and social media they love. Also debuting on the 2013 Accord is the exclusive available Honda LaneWatch™ blind-spot display, which uses a camera system mounted on the passenger mirror for an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway. The all-new 2013 Honda Accord also receives a rearview camera and an Expanded View Driver##Q##s Mirror as standard equipment.
Model Lineup
The 2013 Honda Accord Sedan will be available in six model choices, including an all-new top-spec Touring trim (LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, EX-L V6, and Touring), with the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan arriving early in 2013. The striking 2013 Honda Accord Coupe will be available in four model choices (LX-S, EX, EX-L and EX-L V6).
The 2013 Accord Sedan is available in nine exterior colors, including four metallic and five pearl colors. All-new colors include Champagne Frost Pearl, Hematite Metallic, Modern Steel Metallic and Obsidian Blue Pearl.
The 2013 Accord Coupe is available in seven exterior colors, including two metallic, five pearl and one solid color. All-new colors include Modern Steel Metallic, Still Night Pearl, Tiger Eye Pearl and White Orchid Pearl.
Powertrain
As in previous generations, two gasoline engines are available on the 2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe. These include a new Earth Dreams™ 2.4-liter 4-cylinder with Honda##Q##s first use of direct injection in North America, and an Earth Dreams™ 3.5-liter V-6 with revised VTEC + VCM functions.
The base 185-horsepower (hp) 4-cylinder engine is coupled to a choice of an efficient new continuously variable transmission (CVT), or a new fun-to-shift 6-speed manual transmission on selected models. The Accord Sport Sedan model provides a 189-horsepower version of the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder. Meanwhile, Accord V-6 models feature a 278-horsepower 3.5-liter engine coupled to a 6-speed automatic or, in the V-6 Coupe, a 6-speed manual transmission.
In early 2013, the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid will debut Honda##Q##s new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder two-motor plug-in hybrid system. Available in the Sedan only, this system operates continuously through three modes – all-electric, gasoline-electric and direct-drive – to maximize fuel efficiency.
Body
Crisply styled and aerodynamically efficient, the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe body designs are the most sophisticated in Accord history. The 2013 Accord unit-body uses 55.8-percent high-tensile steel, more than in any previous Accord.
In addition, 17.2-percent of the steel is now grade 780, 980 and 1,500 – extremely high grades that have never before been used in any Accord. This contributes to higher body rigidity and reduced weight, which directly benefits ride and handling, interior quietness, performance and efficiency and long-term durability.
With its contoured body-sides, the Sedan##Q##s exterior design is sleek, bold and decisive, while the Coupe##Q##s design is rakish, taut and athletic.
Extensive use of under-covers improve aerodynamics for increased fuel efficiency, while other advances include available LED headlights, DRLs and brake lights, mirror-mounted turn signals, and the standard Expanded View Driver##Q##s Mirror that increases the driver##Q##s field of vision by 4.2 degrees.
Chassis
Literally every aspect of the Accord##Q##s chassis was reviewed or redesigned to create the best possible driving experience. Altogether, the highly rigid unit-body, refined suspension technology and advanced electronics define the 2013 Accord chassis as the most capable in model history. The new Accord is quieter and more responsive on city streets, smoother and more composed on the highway, and even more faithful to the driver##Q##s wishes on winding roads.
New features for Accord include a MacPherson strut front suspension, a steel and aluminum front subframe and electric power steering (EPS). Standard Active Noise Control (ANC) and Active Sound Control (ASC) on both 4-cylinder and V-6 models counteract engine noise, particularly at high rpm.
The lightweight MacPherson strut front suspension improves ride and handling qualities while also reducing interior noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The new aluminum and steel front subframe reduces weight and, in conjunction with the new independent multi-link rear suspension, further reduces NVH. Careful aerodynamic tailoring of the underbody and suspension systems provides additional noise reductions.
The new EPS setup uses an electric motor to assist the rack-and-pinion steering rather than the hydraulic assist of the previous Accord. The result is reduced steering effort and fuel consumption, with improved precision, feel and stability.
Alloy wheels are now standard across the Accord model range, and range in size from 16 to 18 inches. Four-wheel disc brakes are also standard, as is Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) with Brake Assist, a 4-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with Traction Control, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Hill start assist is also now standard on the Accord.
Interior
A completely new interior provides a level of luxury and craftsmanship never before seen in the Accord. Available in Black, Gray and Ivory cloth or leather, the interior combines welcoming comfort with an impressive range of available technologies. Standard features include redesigned seating, dual-zone automatic climate control and simplified controls and instrumentation.
Compared to the prior edition, both the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe offer spacious accommodations for five passengers, and a roomy trunk with a flatter load floor for greater utility. Although the Accord##Q##s length has decreased over three inches and the wheelbase is almost an inch shorter, key interior dimensions grow. Rear legroom increases over an inch, both front and rear shoulder room increase, and trunk space is up over a cubic foot. Altogether, the interior is remarkably quiet, stylish and upscale, with high-quality materials, exemplary fit and finish, and advanced seating comfort and ergonomics.
Contemporary onboard electronics help the Accord driver seamlessly interface with the latest generation of compatible personal mobile electronics. Standard features on all Accords include a bright, full-color 8-inch (diagonal) “intelligent” Multi-Information Display (i-MID), Bluetooth®2 HandsFreeLink® phone interface, Pandora® internet radio interface and an SMS text messaging feature. A new available Audio with touchscreen display and the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with Voice Recognition and FM Traffic is also available.
The 2013 Accord is also the first Honda product to offer available HondaLink™ technology, which works with the owner##Q##s compatible smartphone to connect the Accord with music and media resources such as Aha™ by Harman, internet apps, roadside assistance and more. Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) are also available.
Safety
The 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe offer the greatest range of active and passive safety features in Honda history. Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) is standard on all Accord models, and available new technologies include Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).
Collision safety engineering includes the updated Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, which improves occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions, and the most extensive use of high-strength steel in Accord history. The Accord##Q##s impact-absorbing front body design can even help attenuate energy in the event of a frontal collision with a pedestrian.
Passive-safety features include six airbags, including dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. New SmartVent™ side airbags reduce the risk of excessive airbag deployment force and eliminate the need for the Accord##Q##s previous Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS).
Based on internal testing, both the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe are expected to earn a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and 5-star ratings in federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests3.
Source: Honda
