Honda hopes to strike it lucky

Honda will offer a V6 engine that automatically cuts out two or three cylinders to save fuel when cruising, and a more economical four-cylinder engine in the same body.

“There is definite opportunity for the new Accord in the large car market, ”Honda Australia senior director Lindsay Smalley says. “This is not as a fringe dweller but going head-to-head with the traditional (Holden, Ford, Toyota) core competitors in the segment. The numbers will not be huge — we are suggesting 800 a month from launch — but there will be no taxis and no government fleets. The customers who will shop for the Accord are user/choosers who are mature professional customers over 50 and young professional families in the 39-45 age bracket.”

Smalley also says that by offering two engines, Honda will draw buyers. It's a strategy Toyota and Mitsubishi turned away from with their Aurion and 380 offerings and one Holden and Ford never offered, yet Honda has enjoyed reasonable success with its outgoing Accord, drawing 70 per cent of its buyers in the 4-cylinder market. The new one, sourced from Thailand, launches with two engine choices coupled to a single five-speed automatic with two trim levels.

The 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder has been squeezed to produce and additional 8kW and 4Nm, lifting output to 133kW and 222Nm, while still drinking standard unleaded fuel at a claimed 8.8 litres per 100km. Honda has managed to keep the entry-level VTi under the critical $30,000 price point at $29,990 while adding to the size of the car, including significant space improvements in the cabin, adding a vehicle stability control as standard, new dual chamber front and side airbags and active front headrests and three standard rear head restraints. Other standard inclusions are 16-inch alloy wheels with full-size spare, dual-zone airconditioning, cruise control, ABS, emergency brake-force distribution, electronic brake assist, central locking, six-stacker CD sound system with six speakers and MP3 capability and speed-sensitive volume compensation.

The VTi Luxury ($36,490) adds 17-inch alloys, automatic headlights, electric sunroof, front fog lights, power adjustment for driver's seat, heated front seats, leather trim and curtain airbags. The basic V6 starts at $38,490 and brings some serious improvements in power and torque from the new 3.5-litre SOHC unit. Power output is up 25kW to 202kW while torque has been improved to 339Nm. Trim level and equipment is similar to the 2.4-litre base car.

However, the real story for the V6 cars is Honda's exclusive variable cylinder management (VCM) which can shut down two or three of the engine's six cylinders when the engine is not under load. The key benefits are claimed to be fuel saving and lower emissions with Honda saying American owners, where the car was launched last year, reporting four-cylinder like fuel economy. Honda Australia's official fuel figure is 10 litres per 100km on a combined cycle.

Under the VCM, the engine runs on all six cylinders accelerating or under high load, switching to four or three cylinders for cruising or low-speed running. With three operating modes, the VCM system constantly tailors the working displacement of the engine to match the driving requirements with the driver made aware only by a green eco sign, which illuminates in the instrument panel. The VCM system monitors throttle position, vehicle speed, engine speed, automatic-transmission gear selection and other factors to determine the correct cylinder activation mode for the operating conditions.

In addition, the system determines whether engine oil pressure is suitable for VCM switching and whether catalytic-converter temperature will remain in the proper range. To smooth the transition between activating or deactivating cylinders, the system adjusts ignition timing, drive-by-wire throttle position and turns the torque converter lock-up on and off.

An engine running on three cylinders is not going to be as well balanced as one set up initially as a six, but Honda's engineers have worked to reduce any coarseness transmitting to the cabin with the use of sophisticated active control engine mounts, which have an actuator front and rear controlled by the ECU to cancel engine vibration.

As a result, transition between three-, four-, and six-cylinder operation is seamless from the driver's point of view. At the top of the model range is the V6 Luxury ($46,990) which has full leather, automatic headlights, seat position memory, fuel consumption display, full leather, heated front seats, satellite navigation, reversing camera, curtain airbags and a premium audio system. The first thing you notice about the Accord on the road is just how much it has closed the gap on its Euro stablemate. Still a very different car than the sports model, the new Accord has found reasons to be loved for itself.

Honda insists the car in its Luxury guise is a direct competitor for the Holden Calais, what will be the Falcon GE6 when it goes on sale in May, and the Toyota Aurion — and while it may struggle to stand that claim up against the segment leaders it will have a price advantage and what could be a fuel economy advantage.

On the evidence of the relatively short launch drive it is difficult to say with any confidence just how effective the VCM management is.

The only model to have a fuel-economy readout, the V6 Luxury, returned closer to 14 litres per 100km than the claimed 10 litres per 100km ... but that was in a car driven to assess dynamics rather than economy. What can be said is that both the V6 and four-cylinder cars are more lively and more stable than the outgoing models. And noticeably more spacious inside.

Snapshot

Honda Accord

Price: from $29,990 to $46,990

Engine: 2.4L/4-cylinder 133kW/222Nm; 3.5L/V6 202kW/339NM

Transmission: 5-speed automatic

Economy: 8.8L/100km (4-cylinder); 10L/100km (V6) claimed