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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY
26 September 2011
Honda Accord is one of the most enduring nameplates on the
Australian car market having been on sale here continuously for
almost 35 years. As often happens, the Accord grew steadily in
both size over the years, going from a 1.6-litre four-cylinder
three-door hatch in 1977 to a 3.0-litre V6 family-sized sedan by
the early 2000s.
As the Accord grew larger it became softer and more conservative.
So, in 2003, Honda decided to turn back the clock and design a new
model with similar dimensions, but with a smaller engine and
sportier driving dynamics, aimed at those looking for enhanced
performance without any loss in luxury.
Because it was targeted at the European driver, the name Accord
Euro was chosen for this new model. We’ve just spent a week in
the latest version of Accord Euro, an upgrade of the second
generation model that has been here since 2008.
Driving
enthusiasts don’t necessarily want cars with look-at-me styling
and the design of the MY12 Honda Accord Euro remains conservative.
Changes include a new two-bar grille in place of the previous
three-bar version, re-sculptured front bumper, foglight surrounds
and ventilation apertures. The rear lights are of softer red and
there is now a chrome strip on the boot lid.
Inside there’s a new satin-finish on the door handles, console,
steering wheel and other interior components while an anti-dust
feature has been applied to the cloth trim of the base model.
As before Euro comes in three grades, the base model just called
Euro, the higher-specced models called Luxury and Luxury Navi.
New features in the MY2012 model include Bluetooth controls on the
steering wheel, foldaway key, USB/iPod connectivity, Trailer
Stability Assist auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers and the
option of 18-inch alloy wheels. The range-topping Luxury Navi now
has bi-HID headlights with automatic low/high beam and a cornering
function which operates at speeds up to 40 km/h.
Other standard features include front, side and curtain airbags,
ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency
brake assist, rear parking sensors,
Accord Euro Luxury also gets a powered driver’s seat with two
memory settings, heated front seats, front parking sensors,
sunroof, fog lights, headlight washers and auto-dimming rear
vision mirror.
As the name suggests, the Accord Luxury Navi model comes with
satellite navigation as well as a reversing camera.
The base model Honda Euro comes with 17-inch wheels as well as a
full-size spare. The two Luxury models have 18-inch wheels and
space saver spares.
There’s
good interior space, with the level of leg, elbow and headroom
that you’d expect from a larger car. However, as is generally
the case, the sunroof that comes standard in the Luxury models
does reduce front seat headroom, so try it out during your test
drive.
Boot capacity in all models is a moderate 467 litres, so there’s
no additional capacity from the use of space saver wheels in the
Luxury variants.
All Accord Euro models come with the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder
engine. While it’s not as refined as the six-cylinder units that
most of its competitors use it comes surprisingly close.
Maximum power of 148
kilowatts comes in at high 7000 rpm, as does the torque peak of
234 Newton metres (at 4300 rpm), although there's decent pulling
power at all revs over 2000. It will cruise comfortably at steady
revs from 1500 in the interests of minimising fuel use and carbon
dioxide output, but you have to change down a gear, sometimes two,
if you want to get the engine back into the middle part of the
torque band.
A diesel engine is available overseas but to date has not been
taken up by Honda Australia.
Our test car came with the five-speed automatic with the
convenience of steering wheel mounted paddle shifts. Unusually for
cars in this class, but appropriate for the Euro’s sporting
bent, there’s also the option of a slick six-speed manual in the
base and Luxury models. We’ve driven this in previous models and
it’s a real delight to use, particularly when you remember that
this sporty sedan is driven by the front wheels.
On the road there’s a nice balance between road feel and ride
comfort that allows the Accord Euro to be equally at home in both
urban and rural conditions. There's less tyre noise through the
suspension on coarse-chip surfaces than in many other cars aimed
at the European market.
Steering is precise and responsive with a well-balanced road grip
that makes it a real pleasure to drive. The already good feeling
of body and suspension strength has been further improved with
the introduction of Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering
(ACE) chassis that absorbs and actively channels crash energy away
from passengers.
Official
fuel consumption figures are marginally down on the previous
model, at 8.7 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined test with
the manual gearbox, 8.5 L/100 km with the automatic. We found
ourselves sitting very close to these numbers during our test,
something which is not always the case when comparing factory
tests with real life conditions.
The other good news is that the strength of the Aussie dollar has
meant that prices have been cut, with the entry level Accord Euro
now just a touch over $30,000.
Great value for a well-equipped, spacious car that’s also a lot
of fun to drive.
MODEL RANGE
Accord Euro 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $30,340 (manual), $32,640
(automatic)
Accord Euro Luxury 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $37,840 (manual),
$40,140 (automatic)
Accord Euro Luxury Navi 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $43,140
(automatic)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Optional in Euro and Luxury, standard in
Luxury Navi
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Electronic Stability Program: Standard in all models
Parking Sensors: Standard in all models
Reversing Camera: Standard in Luxury Navi, not offered in Euro or
Luxury
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: Standard in all models
Bluetooth: Standard in all models (telephone only)
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Honda Accord Euro Luxury 2.4-litre four-door
sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.354 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 87.0 mm x 99.0 mm
Maximum Power: 148 kW @ 7000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 230 Nm @ 4200 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Five-speed
Final Drive Ratio: N/A
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4740 mm
Wheelbase: 2705 mm
Width: 1840 mm
Height: 1440 mm
Turning Circle: 12.1 metres
Kerb Mass: 1525 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litres
Towing Ability: 500 kg (1200 kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, double wishbone
Rear Suspension: Independent, double wishbone
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 9.3 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type:
Petrol 95RON
Combined
Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.5 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6/10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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