Saturday April 26, 2008
Striking a new Accord
Story and photos by ANTHONY LIM
The thing with change is that, even if it at first looks radical, the truth really is that nothing is ever quite as revolutionary as it seems, and that a certain commonality, or rather continuity, is very much part and parcel of evolution. Innovation? Of course. Reinvention? Not quite necessary if it isn’t broken.
Okay, so it does look a little out of place at the beach ... So it is with Honda’s all new 8th generation Accord. The car looks different, is different, but underneath all that new form and flash (and does it ever have flash) is an underlying character that stays true to a stand that has been taken for a while now.
If anything, the changes reflect a reinforcement of that ideal; it is tagged within the confines of the mid-priced luxury sedan segment, but continues to be effectively oriented as a sporty offering, albeit with more luxury.
But hey, we work with what we have. Here, the luxury is afforded not by way of accoutrements, but by technological advancements, of increased levels of performance and drivability. This, of course, is a path that is very different to that taken by the competition, in this case, its most obvious competitor in the segment, the Toyota Camry.
As a parallel, it’s a bit like BMW and Mercedes, and how each approaches the end result with a different philosophy - likewise, where the Accord and Camry equation is concerned. Accord owners generally fancy themselves to be drivers with a fair bit of enthusiasm towards driving. This isn’t to say Camry owners don’t enjoy the same, but you get the idea.
Cabin's cool - this is the 2.4 VTi-L's. Well, the new Accord proudly continues where the last one left off, and very much more so at that. The exterior signals the intent, and even with a styling still based on the American version of the type, has a visual presence that is lean and keen, despite elegant flowing lines from the A-pillar on towards the rear. That front, with its rakish lines, helps to shape the appeal.
Okay, so some elements in the shape may look familiar, like you’ve seen them somewhere before (the shoulder block line, for instance), but on the whole, the styling is a nice progression over the 7th-gen version, after the facelift, that is. The early form was pretty to the eye, less so the mid-life revision. Here though, the lines work.
A bit plain, don't you think? Interior-wise, the revisions to the cabin have made for a more accommodating cocoon. Spacious? It is, and even with four persons on board it doesn’t feel cramped. Seat comfort throughout, both fore and aft, is good – despite seat fronts that are still a little too short, especially from a driver’s perspective – as the four hour journey from Kuantan back to KL on a media drive earlier in the week proved.
Elements in the dashboard design aren’t as startling as they would have been a few years ago. Modernisation means a different outlook and approach compared to the previous offering, and the most visible is that of the centre console stack, familiar from that kicked off in the current Civic.
Especially with this holding court. This doesn’t really look out of place in the whole scheme of things, and if anything, the sweep and the curves of the dashboard seem complemented by the stack. If there’s one niggle, then it has to be with the instrument cluster, which is rather plain looking going by everything else at the front end; it doesn’t quite gel in with proceedings, looking a little bare and two-dimensional.
Besides the obvious improvement in equipment levels in the 2.4 VTi-L over the 2.0 VTi, the black interior and leather in the former does make for better companions than the latter’s beige and fabric trim, which looks like it won’t stand up to wear cleanly. Nothing an external leather job can’t solve, I suppose.
And the 2.0l pot. It is however out on the road that the Accord earns its medal, and driven hard, it really shows how much progression has been made over the previous incarnation. Where the old one was soft, prone to wallowing pitched into corners, this one is not – it can be pushed further than you think it can, with a surprisingly clean balance and tractability that is eventually let down by the ultimate grip afforded by the tyres.
It tracks well enough, as the last part of the drive through the old Bentong-KL trunk road showed; charging along that stretch, it would have left something like the Camry well and truly behind.
Extension cluster on the tailgate is a dummy - do we hear fog lamps? The suspension is a little on the firm side, however, and while compliance levels are decent, it isn’t what you’d call plush. Still, it is eminently serviceable - will it be more than acceptable to the crowd that the car is targeted at? Certainly. In fact, Honda may have hit the nail on the head and given precisely what’s being sought.
The steering, with Variable Gear Ratio system present, is relatively quick on turn-ins, but is dull and muted in terms of feedback. And it remains light - uniformly so - across the turn at pace, arguably by choice of commission (it isn’t speed sensing).
The 17-inch on the 2.4 VTi-L. Still, as mentioned earlier, there is actually very much more you can squeeze out of the car than the information coming off the wheel suggests there is, so once you get the idea that you can push the Accord that bit harder into the corners, the car responds with surprising ability.
Some lines will look familiar, like you've seen them before, somewhere. From a NVH perspective, the improvements to insulation and aerodynamic efficiency make everything up to the national highway speed limit in er, accordance with expectations. Go further up the speed scale though, and you’ll find the vehicle isn’t impervious to wind, engine and road noise.
In terms of poke and performance, the 2.0l R20A3 block is a pretty decent performer once you’re up to running speeds, but low down doesn’t feel quite punchy enough; lose speed, and it takes a while to get a good head of steam going again.
They nose many of you will like them. It could be that the increased chassis stiffness is making things that bit more telling, or it could also be that we had four relatively big lads in the car, bags and all, and the puff was simply huffing to keep us going along. Speaking of which, pushed, the block gets a little raucous.
Layers to be found in the wraparound. As for the 2.4l K24Z2, everything about this one is geared for linearity, and very progressively so. Do we hear long haul cruiser then? In town use, once you get over the fact that the initial take up is always going to feel a little lazy, you could easily fall for its charms. Smooth? Well, yes, as best as a four-pot can be, I suppose.
Making magic on the move, that's what this promises. As far as initial impressions stand, the new Accord looks every bit the car it was intentioned to be - it has imperfections, for sure, but such is its gestalt that these are easily forgivable and overlooked. There is much temerity in this corsair of a car within its segment, and this is what will endear it to many. Well, 2,200 of you out there, so far.
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