Honda New Accord Hybrid with chrome trim accents the horizontal lines. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
Honda, which suffered from sluggish sales in the aftermath of the Japanese boycott last year, introduced a new Accord Hybrid, a partially changed (face lift) model with a secret weapon. The New Accord Hybrid I met in person was a vehicle with excellent performance and fuel economy in a pleasant family sedan.
The New Accord Hybrid is a 10th generation Accord-based hybrid vehicle. The test drive was a high-end trim, Touring. The exterior is very similar to the 10th generation Accord. The front part is decorated with chrome, emphasizing the horizontal lines.
The elongated headlamps, along with chrome trim, made the vehicle’s design look lower and wider. A smartphone-wide sensor was located under the radiator grille, but it was inconspicuous thanks to the black color. The windshield also has a built-in heating wire that helps prevent the wipers from freezing in winter.
On the sides, the sharply falling roof line from the B-pillar creates a strong impression, while the newly designed 19-inch wheel also gave a sporty feel. The rear lamp of the’C’ is impressive. However, in the case of braking, not all’C’ characters were lit, only the upper part was lit.
New Accord Hybrid interior. Photo = Honda
The interior was also not very different from the 10th generation accord. When it looks good, it is calm and when it looks bad, I feel the unique design sense of Japanese tea. However, the convenience function has been greatly improved. The 8-inch main display had good visibility even in a slightly smaller size. I think this is because the screen is tilted greatly to match the driver’s eye level. From this vehicle, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will also be supported wirelessly.
On the steering wheel, there is a button to activate Honda’s driving assistance system’Honda Sensing’, such as lane maintenance assistance and adaptive cruise control. The dashboard was a unique mixture of analog and digital.
The speedometer on the right is an analog type with a needle, and on the left is a small display to express the vehicle’s energy flow and fuel economy history. Beyond the dashboard, there is also a head-up display showing the current speed and simple driving direction.
Features such as the ventilation seat function in the front seat, a steering wheel heating wire, and a smartphone wireless charger, which Koreans prefer, are also provided. The side mirrors illuminate the side and the lower side when reversing, and the rear and rear seat belt reminder functions have also been added.
Honda New Accord Hybrid rear seats. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
The rear seats were wider than expected. The axis distance of the new accord was 2830mm, which was the level of a Korean mid-sized sedan, but when seated in the rear seat, it was possible to confirm the legroom enough to fit three or more fists in front of the knee. In terms of experience, it is comparable to the axis distance of 3000mm.
However, due to the sharply falling roof line, the headroom was limited. The ceiling was dug deep in the head area, but the free space was limited to one finger. A tall adult male seemed to feel uncomfortable.
The Honda New Accord Hybrid features a sleek roofline and 19-inch wheels with a new design. Photo = Reporter Oh Se-sung and Hankyung.com
When I turned on the engine and started driving, the responsiveness and quietness that were close to that of an electric car were outstanding. The New Accord Hybrid is equipped with a two-motor system with a maximum output of 184 hp and a maximum torque of 32.1 kg m, and a 2.0 L engine with a maximum output of 145 hp and a maximum torque of 17.8 kg m. The combined maximum power of the system is 215 horsepower.
In general hybrid cars, the engine is the main power source and the motor assists it, whereas in the New Accord hybrid, the engine assists the motor. Thanks to this, it showed a driving texture closer to that of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) than a general hybrid car. The noise while driving was also caused by more motor sounds than engine sounds.
In addition to the basic state, the driving mode additionally supports three types of electric (EV), sports, and ECON. If you press EV, you can drive in an electric car, and if you choose Sport, the engine intervention increases and you can drive more sporty.
New Accord Hybrid interior. Photo = Honda
However, no matter what mode it was switched to, the room was quiet and there was little vibration. It offers the same acceleration response as a sports sedan, but it is better not to expect a solid ride over the road or a virtual exhaust sound using a sound generator. Although the fun of driving is reduced, the passengers can enjoy a comfortable ride because it is quiet even at high speed and low speed. The rear seats are also comfortable.
If the driving assistance function of Honda Sensing is activated, a safer and more comfortable driving is possible. It is a vehicle that is not insufficient to be the driver of the family. The drowsiness prevention monitor function, which detects the driver’s lowered attention and informs them with sound and vibration, was also installed, which was an essential function.
The test drive fuel economy, which was tested for rapid acceleration, deceleration, and semi-autonomous driving, was calculated as 16.2km/L. The official fuel efficiency is 17.5km/L, and it is expected to record higher fuel efficiency when driving safely. The price of the New Accord Hybrid Touring is 45.7 million won. It is about 10 million won higher than that of domestic hybrid cars of the same class, but it is necessary to consider the characteristics of vehicles that are close to PHEV.
Sesung Oh, reporter of Hankyung.com [email protected]
Video = Choi Hyuk, reporter of Hankyung.com [email protected]
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