Now in its ninth generation, the Accord is
the world's seventh bestselling car range of all time. It hasn't quite enjoyed
the same success in South Africa, however. And the blame must be laid at the
tyres of that perennial killer of traditional segments, the SUV. Honda's own
contender, the CR-V, greatly outsold the previous two generations of Accord
we've been privy to. Buyers simply lost interest in large family sedans after
the segment reached its zenith in the 1990s with the Toyota Camry, and flocked
in droves to soft-roaders and crossovers.
It also didn't help that the previous
Accord was the European-spec iteration, and thus smaller and less spacious than
the American version – a vehicle more closely aligned with the ethos of the
original family saloon. Pricing was a sticking point, too - the same money
could buy the equivalent CR-V with the same engine.
The
new Accord has a conservative body shape
So, to renew interest in the Accord range,
Honda South Africa made the bold decision to source the aforementioned
vehicle's replacement from the United States (it's built for that market in
Thailand).
Launched in North America at the end of
2012, the Accord has been a roaring success in the world's second-largest car
market and has enjoyed the unfettered admiration of the motoring press. It all
bodes well for this - a very different Accord to the ones South Africans have
become accustomed to.
The range consists of three variants, each
of which is petrol-powered and sends power to the front wheels via an automatic
transmission. This 3.5-litre V6 is the headline powertrain of the range and
Honda claims the availability of the latter is the reason why it switched to
the US version in a bid to enter the premium-executive market. We believe
import cost considerations played a role, too, as European versions are more
sophisticated in their drivetrains and cabins.
The
interior of the Accord has two large, easy to read, screens for the driving and
infotainment systems
Design-wise, Honda US takes a different
tack. That market is notoriously conservative in its buying patterns, so it's
unsurprising that the newest model features generic styling cues in an attempt
to cater to wider tastes.
That's not to say the Accord is
unattractive - features such as the lower honeycomb grille, multi-element xenon
headlamps, 18-inch alloys and dual exhaust outlets are well resolved - but the
taut surfacing of especially the seventh-generation model has been sacrificed.
The cabin is undoubtedly a bigger success.
Thanks to the subtle application of brushed silver strips and dark-wood trim,
the ambience is classy without appearing overwrought.
The
longer body and longer wheelbase translates into more rear legroom and the rear
seats offer that typical luxury
It isn't the easiest cabin to use, though,
owing to the scattergun layout of some controls and this Exclusive model's long
list of standard features that demand a multitude of buttons. The powerful
dual-zone climate-control system is simple to operate, but the division between
the operation of the larger screen above and the big one at the top of the
facia isn't as dear. An odd feature that wasn't universally liked was the
top-most screen that switches to a rearward camera view along the left-hand
flank when the indicator stalk is dipped. Ostensibly, this is to alert the
driver of the presence of cyclists, but it's more of an annoyance than a boon.
Ahead of the old-fashioned transmission
lever are two cubbies, while the central console, glove compartment and door
pockets provide enough oddment space.
The seats on all Accord models are trimmed
in leather, while the V6 offers eight-way electric adjustment that, together
with the (manually) adjustable steering column, allows for a relaxed seating
position that's perfectly in keeping with the loping gait the Accord adopts
when cruising.
