Dramatic Design of Reimagined 2018 Honda Accord Signals
New Direction for
America’s Retail Best-Selling Midsize Sedan
Next-generation Honda design, packaging and proportion
Interior
space and quality that exceeds the midsize class
New
powertrain lineup: turbocharged and electrified performance
Lighter, more rigid body and new chassis
design
Honda
Sensing® technology standard on all models and trims
New
Accord Hybrid to be made in Ohio
DETROIT, MI Jul. 14 2017 – Honda today showcased a new
direction for
America’s retail best-selling midsize sedan with the
world debut of a more
stylish, sporty and premium 2018 Honda Accord that
launches this fall. The
world debut event held today in Detroit can be viewed at
The 10th-generation Accord is new from the ground up and
features a lighter
and more rigid body structure, an advanced new chassis
design, two all-new,
high-torque direct-injected and turbocharged engines, the
world’s first
10-speed automatic transmission for a front-drive car and
a new generation
of Honda’s two-motor hybrid technology, along with a host
of new safety,
driver-assistive and connected-car technologies – all
wrapped in a more
sophisticated, sleek and athletic design with top class
interior space and
comfort.
“We are redefining the Honda Accord for a new generation
of buyers by
bringing something unexpected that challenges the idea of
what a mainstream
sedan can be,” said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president of
the Automobile
Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Even as we
advance core values
like great driving dynamics, safety performance and
efficiency, the
distinctive design of this all-new 2018 Honda Accord will
help it appeal to
both head and heart in equal measure.”
Next-Generation Accord Design and Packaging
In reimagining the Accord for its 10th-generation
rebirth, Honda designers
and engineers went back to the fundamentals of proportion
and stance with a
sporting and athletic appearance, like a sprinter in the
blocks. The
approach reinvigorates classic Honda design principles,
such as a low and
wide body, expansive visibility and sporty seating
position, and then
translating them into a thoroughly modern, sporty and
premium Accord sedan
design.
The new Accord features a longer wheelbase (+2.16
inches), a lower overall
height (-0.59 inch) and wider (+0.39 inch) body, wider
wheel tracks (+0.20
in. front, +0.79 in. rear), a shortened overall length
(-0.39 inch) and
lower, sportier seating position (-1.0 inch front and -0.79
inch back). A
sweeping greenhouse positioned farther back on the body
completes the new
stance and proportion of the next-generation Accord. The
combined effect of
these changes is a more premium look, highlighted by
shorter overhangs, a
bold front fascia, a long and low hood, and a visual
center of gravity
moved closer to the rear wheels.
Viewed head-on, the new Accord’s greenhouse also angles
in more
dramatically from the window sills to the roof, further
emphasizing the
wide lower body, while inside the cabin the seats have
been moved slightly
inward that contributes to improved hip, shoulder and
head room while
enhancing occupants’ freedom of movement. Also, the
longer wheelbase
allowed designers to move the second-row seats substantially
rearward,
giving Accord almost 2 extra inches of rear leg room to
offer one of the
most spacious rear seating areas in its class. Overall
passenger volume is
increased by 2.5 cubic feet to 105.7 (based on LX). Trunk
space has also
been increased by nearly one cubic foot on the 1.5-liter
and 2.0-liter
engine powered Accords and by 3.2 cubic feet on the
Accord Hybrid to a top
level 16.7 cubic feet (+0.9 cu.ft.).
Elegant and modern exterior detailing compliments the
Accord’s new, more
dynamic design. The bold and upright front fascia is
highlighted by Honda’s
signature chrome wing front grille positioned above a
large main air intake
and flanked by available 9-lamp full-LED headlights and
LED fog lights. The
chiseled hood features a distinctive and aggressive
raised center, and the
deeply sculpted body sides enhance the visual length and
strength of the
lower body.
Further, a new laser brazing process that joins the
dramatically arching
roof to the body side panels creates a clean appearance
with no garnish
over the rain channels. The similarly low and wide rear
view is finished
off with an upswept decklid, distinctive LED light-pipe
taillights and
cleanly integrated dual exhaust ports. Overall
aerodynamic efficiency is
improved by approximately 3 percent (based on EX trim) to
make it the most
streamlined Accord yet.
Elegant and Tech Savvy Cabin
The 2018 Accord also boasts a larger, more premium and
tech savvy interior
that compliments its athletic and elegant body design,
delivering a level
of quality and premium feel that belies Accord’s
mainstream sedan status.
The new Accord features a panoramic forward view that is
enabled by its
lower cowl and by front roof pillars that are 20 percent
narrower and moved
rearward relative to the driver’s seating position. The
new soft-touch
instrument panel features an ultra-thin profile and
three-tier design with
a strong upper deck that describes a continuous arc from
its outboard
section through the side door sills, giving a sense of
strength and visual
continuity.
A more intricately contoured sport inspired steering
wheel with deep-set
thumb rests and available paddle shifters compliment the
Accord’s more
sophisticated and sporty performance capabilities.
Meticulous attention to
the tactile and visual quality of surface materials and
decorations
communicates modernity and soft-spoken elegance
throughout the cabin.
The inboard positioning of the seats provides for
improved freedom of
movement and is complimented by longer, wider and more
deeply padded arm
rests, front and rear; while the Accord’s newly designed
seats feature
taller shoulder bolstering for a more premium appearance
and improved
lateral support. New high-accuracy seat padding with
variable firmness
improves seating comfort and support. The driver’s seat
now has available
12-way power adjustment with height-adjustable lumbar
support, and
passenger comfort is further enhanced by available new
heated and
ventilated front seats and by improved available rear
seat heating with
both seat bottom and seat back heating elements.
The tech-savvy and easy-to-use 2018 Accord cabin also
features an all-new
HMI that includes an ultra-slim 7-inch TFT driver’s meter
and a new 8-inch
Display Audio touchscreen interface with physical volume
and tuning knobs
and more intuitive, smartphone-like features and
functionality including
customizable app tiles and home-screen shortcuts, along
with Apple CarPlay™
and Android Auto™ compatibility. The Accord also will
offer the
next-generation of HondaLink telematics with new
capabilities including
emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking
and engine start,
stolen vehicle tracking, remote diagnostics, geofencing,
speed tracking and
more.
Touring trims of both 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter models also
feature a new
6-inch driver’s Head Up Display with selectable
information, including
speed, engine rpm, turn-by-turn navigation, and Traffic
Sign Recognition.
Additional new or improved connected-car technologies
available on the 2018
Accord include wireless device charging, automatic
Bluetooth® phone pairing
with Near Field Communication technology, 4G LTE in-car
Wi-Fi, and
Wi-Fi-enabled over-the-air system updates.
Audio systems vary by trim, starting with 4 speakers and
160 watts on LX,
8 speakers and 180 watts on Sport and EX trims, and 10
speakers and 450
watts on EX-L and Touring trims. All models feature USB
charging ports (two
2.5-amp ports on EX and above) along with Bluetooth
connectivity.
Accord Performance: Turbocharged and Electrified
The 2018 Accord takes an entirely new approach to
performance by featuring
three advanced new powerplants – two direct-injected and
turbocharged
4-cylinder engines and the third generation of Honda’s
two-motor hybrid
powertrain technology. The 2018 Accord also features a
new Honda-developed
10-speed automatic transmission (10AT) with the 2.0-liter
turbo engine, the
first of its kind for a front-wheel-drive car, and an
available 6-speed
manual transmission for both turbocharged engines.
The new 1.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo
with dual Variable
Timing Control (dual VTC) produces a peak 192 horsepower
(HP) at 5,500 rpm
and 192 lb-ft. of torque from 1,500 to 5,000 rpm, up from
185 HP at 6,400
rpm and 181 lb.-ft. at 3,900 rpm on the existing,
normally aspirated
2.4-liter model. The new 1.5-liter turbo is mated to a
Honda continuously
variable automatic transmission (CVT) or, in Sport trim,
to a CVT or a
6-speed manual transmission (6MT).
The Accord can also be equipped with a new 2.0-liter
16-valve DOHC
direct-injected turbo with i-VTEC® valvetrain paired with
a 10-speed
automatic transmission or, in Sport trim, to the 10AT or
an available 6MT.
The new 2.0-liter turbo, sharing much of its design with
the race-bred 2017
Civic Type R, produces 252 HP at 6,500 rpm and 273
lb.-ft. of torque from
1,500 to 4,000 rpm, compared to 278 HP at 6,200 rpm and
252 lb.-ft. at
4,900 rpm for the 3.5-liter V6 that it replaces.
Both turbocharged engines utilize a host of new
technologies, including
high-efficiency low-inertia turbos, variable valve
timing,
low-pressure-loss air intake and high-accuracy direct
injection, to deliver
immediate and powerful response along while still
anticipated to receive
top level fuel economy ratings. The two new automatic transmissions – the
CVT for the 1.5-liter engine and new 10AT for the
2.0-liter engine – take
greater advantage of available torque while maximizing
quietness and
efficiency during highway cruising. The redesigned CVT
has an 11 percent
lower ratio compared to the current version for more
powerful launch
performance, while the new 10AT is 22 lbs. lighter, has a
68 percent wider
overall ratio range with a 43 percent lower first gear,
and a 17 percent
taller top gear compared to the current Accord’s
six-speed automatic.
Production of New Accord Hybrid Returns to Ohio
An all-new, even more refined and fuel efficient Accord
Hybrid will be
again built in Marysville, Ohio after a couple of years
of production in
Japan, and will be powered by the third-generation of
Honda’s innovative
two-motor hybrid technology, offering improved power
delivery with no
compromise to interior or cargo space and packaging.
The new hybrid powertrain will utilize a 2.0-liter
Atkinson cycle engine
with greater than 40 percent thermal efficiency, the
highest for any
mass-produced Honda engine, paired with Honda-developed
electric motors
that are the first drive motors in the world to use
magnets containing no
heavy rare-earth metals. As before, the Accord two-motor
system operates
without the need for a conventional automatic
transmission.
Additionally, a new, more compact intelligent power unit
(IPU), containing
the hybrid battery pack and its control systems, is now
mounted under the
rear floor instead of in the trunk, preserving both cargo
space (16.7
cu.-ft.) and the flexibility of a 60/40-split and folding
rear seat,
standard on all models and trims. Detailed specifications
on the 2018
Accord Hybrid, including power and fuel-economy ratings,
will be release
closer to launch.
New Approach to Body and Chassis Design
The 2018 Accord’s new body structure is lighter and more
rigid, utilizing
29 percent ultra-high-strength steel, the most extensive application
of
this weight-saving material in any current mass-produced
Honda car.
Overall, the new Accord employs 54.2 percent high
strength steel (above 440
MPa).
Key body features include the latest generation of
Honda’s Advanced
Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure with
crash stroke front
frame, tailor-tempered rear frame members for improved
crash-energy
absorption, and the extensive use of structural adhesives
for increased
rigidity, cabin quietness and weight reduction. Total vehicle
weight is
down between approximately 110 to 176 pounds, depending
on trim, while body
torsional and bending rigidity are improved 32 and 24
percent,
respectively, aiding ride quality, cabin quietness, and
dynamic
performance.
Mated to the new body is a more sophisticated new chassis
design. The 2018
Accord’s lighter chassis features a new Macpherson strut
front suspension
with L-shaped aluminum control arms mounted to an
all-aluminum front
subframe. The new setup better isolates and manages
varying road inputs,
improving handling precision, ride quality and cabin
quietness along with
outstanding high-speed stability and control. The new,
more space-efficient
rear suspension is a multi-link design mounted to a more
rigid, floating
rear subframe. Fluid-filled compliance bushings at all
four corners further
improve ride comfort and absorption of road
irregularities, and all new
Accords also feature, for the first time, an Adaptive
Damper System with
the ability to adjust shock absorber damping force every
1/500 of a second,
providing for a more compliant and controlled ride in all
driving
situations.
The new Accord has a 10 mm lower center of gravity. The
adoption of
lighter-weight turbocharged engines and other body design
changes reduce
the vehicle’s moment of inertia, resulting in crisper
turn-in and steering
response. All models now have near optimal FWD weight
distribution of
approximately 60/40 (front/rear). Accords with the new
2.0-liter i-VTEC
turbo and 10AT check in at approximately 61/39, a
significant improvement
versus the current V-6 and 6AT Accord.
All new Accords will now come equipped with a Two-Mode
Driving System
featuring Normal and Sport settings, allowing the driver
to dial-up/down
the vehicle’s sporty reflexes depending on the driving
environment. The
system engages with multiple chassis and drivetrain
components, including
the new dual-pinion variable-ratio electric power
steering (EPS), automatic
transmission, drive-by-wire throttle, adaptive dampers
and Active Sound
Control system, to provide the driver with an expanded
range of driving
characteristics. An ECON mode is also available that
helps improve fuel
efficiency by modifying throttle mapping and HVAC
operation.
Along with the first application of structural adhesives
to Accord, cabin
quietness is further enhanced by a comprehensive
sound-insulating package
that includes full underbody covers, which also aid
aerodynamics, front and
rear fender and engine compartment insulators, alloy
wheels with
Honda-proprietary resonator technology, sound-absorbing
carpet, acoustic
laminated windshield glass – plus front door acoustic
glass on EX and above
– and a new, three-microphone Active Noise Control
system.
Advanced Safety and Driver-Assistive Technology
For 2018, all Accords will feature the full suite of
Honda Sensing® safety
and driver-assistive technologies as standard equipment.
Honda Sensing
includes Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™),
Lane Departure
Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise
Control with Low-Speed
Follow and new Traffic Sign Recognition. Additional
available
driver-assistive technologies include Blind Spot
Information, front and
rear parking sensors, Cross Traffic Monitor and Driver
Awareness Monitor;
and all models feature a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera with
dynamic
guidelines.
Standard advanced active and passive safety systems
include Vehicle
Stability Assist with Traction Control, Anti-lock brakes
with Electronic
Brake Distribution, Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS), advanced front
airbags, driver and front-passenger side airbags and new
driver and
front-passenger knee airbags. The Accord targets top U.S.
government (NCAP)
and IIHS collision safety ratings.
Accord Models and Trims
More detailed information will be provided closer to
launch, but the
1.5-liter powered Accord will be available in six trims –
LX, Sport, EX,
EX-L, EX-L Navi and Touring. The 2.0-liter model has four
trims available,
which are Sport, EX-L, EX-L Navi and Touring. And the new
Accord Hybrid
will be available in five trims – Hybrid, EX, EX-L, EX-L
Navi and Touring.
Sport trims for both 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engine
variants will now
feature available short-throw 6-speed manual
transmissions.
Accord Manufacturing
All variants of the 2018 Accord will be produced at
Honda’s Marysville,
Ohio auto plant1, at which the company is investing with
numerous
enhancements to further advance quality and efficiency,
including the
introduction of additional technologies and processes.
Accord was the first
vehicle from a Japanese automaker to be made in America
and has been in
continuous production at the Marysville Auto Plant since
November 1982,
with cumulative U.S. production exceeding 11 million
units over 35 years.
The 2018 Accord’s 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbo engines
will be produced at
Honda’s Anna, Ohio engine plant, and its CVT transmission
will be
manufactured at the company’s Russells Point, Ohio plant.
The all-new, Honda-designed 10-speed automatic
transmission will be
produced at the company’s Tallapoosa, Georgia plant1.
Honda recently
announced a combined $149 million investment in the
Russells Point and
Tallapoosa plants to facilitate production of the new
10AT. Additional
details concerning new manufacturing technology and
investments will be
announced closer to launch.
