Honda Accord 2011 News

Only a fraction of the 1.2 million cars on Australia roads with airbags that can spray shrapnel have been fixed, new figures show.

In the absence of exciting new product, leaner and meaner sub-$30,000 pricing on the Honda Accord and price cuts to the City light car are the latest salvos fired by the Japanese car maker to turn around its sales figures. Honda's "aggressive" new Accord pricing aims to further improve the model's value for money, according to director and general manager Stephen Collins. "This new pricing on the Accord range is further evidence of Honda Australia's commitment to provide our customers with outstanding product at value for money pricing. "We are sure our customers will agree the Accord now offers one of the best-value buys in the large segment," he says.  Given the Japanese brand finished 2011 just over 25 per cent down on its 2010 tally (after being thumped by earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear reactor issues in Japan and floods in Thailand), the beancounters will be looking to get volumes back to pre-disaster levels. April's performance showed growth over April 2011 but the numbers year-to-date remain behind 2011. The 133kW/226Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder entry-level Accord VTi has dropped $4300 to a list price of $28,190 - or $29,990 drive-away. The VTi-L with satellite navigation has been dropped $2800 from $39,990 to $37,190 and the 202kW/342Nm V6 Luxury model has been reduced by $2700 to $47,290. The Accord V6 is equipped with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) that allows the engine to operate on either six, four or three cylinders for maximum fuel and emission efficiency. The City light car has also had its price cut - by $500 - as part of a facelift and features upgrade. Mr Collins says the $19,990 drive-away pricetag makes the City "sensational value for money." "Australians will love the look of the new-look City," he says. The City, offered in VTi and VTi-L variants, has a new grille and redesigned brake lights and bumpers, aluminium-look interior trim bits and a new rear micro antenna. The VTi-L gets a new design for the new-look 16in alloy wheels. The dash has also been refreshed - the speedometer now has blue illumination - and the City also has thicker window glass and floor carpet to reduce cabin noise, claims Honda. On the floor significantly improve cabin quietness.  The City VTi manual is priced from $18,490  (or $19,990 drive-away), add $2000 for the auto or step up to the VTi-L automatic for $22,990.  

Icy winds and snow are blowing across Motown, dumping on the auto capital of the world at a time when American politicians are applying relentless pressure for a major shift in the way that General M

That’s because Honda’s new, larger Accord, released this week (not the Euro), is a stronger, more convincing offering than the previous model – one that could well fill the void left by 380 in the large car segment. In V6 form, at least, it offers something the others don’t – fuel-saving, cylinder shutdown technology that allows the car to run on as little as three cylinders when full power is not required. There’s also a gutsy four-cylinder model that promises even more fuel savings. It’s no secret the large car segment has shrunk significantly in the last couple of years as buyers drift towards smaller more economical vehicles. According to sales figures for 2007, Holden’s Commodore dominated the segment with 57,000 sales, followed by the Ford Falcon (34,000) and Toyota Aurion (22,000). Despite a string of awards, the poor old 380 trailed a poor fourth with just under 11,000 sales for the year followed by the Accord (7200). As sales of the 380 trickle to a stop and eventually dry up, those sales have to go somewhere and Honda is quietly confident of picking up a fair chunk of them, as much as 10 per cent of the segment total over time. And, after driving the new Accord in Victoria last week, we reckon Honda is in with a big chance. Four Accords are offered – a 3.5-litre V6 and a 2.4-litre in-line four, with standard and luxury versions of each. All of them get a revised, five-speed auto with wheel mounted change paddles. With 202kW of power, the V6 trumps the lot (but not by much) – producing more power than all of its competitors _ even the yet to be released new Falcon. The 2.4-litre also eclipses its competitors with 133kW, way ahead of the Ford Mondeo with 118kW. In the “mine’s bigger than yours” stakes, that counts for a lot! The four cylinder model’s entry level price of $29,990 should also turn a few heads, particularly as it includes an auto, climate air, electronic stability control and four airbags _ not to mention six stacker CD sound and full-size alloy spare wheel. We were able to drive the base model 2.4-litre Accord and top of the line V6 Luxury at the launch of the car outside Melbourne. With a larger more prominent front grille, the car has a much a stronger road presence than its predecessor and feels bigger inside, bigger in fact than Honda’s flagship Legend. The four with 222Nm of torque available from 4300rpm pulls strongly and the car feels lighter and more agile than the V6, nothing like the floaty model that it replaces. We pushed it hard through some demanding mountain roads with pleasing results. The stability control system, called Vehicle Stability assist in Honda-speak, intrudes only when absolutely necessary and that wasn’t very often. The engine is a little harsh under hard acceleration and the Michelin tyres generate some noticeable road noise, but apart from that it’s all good. Fuel economy for the four using standard unleaded is rated at 8.8 litres/100km. The V6 with 339Nm of torque available from 5000rpm feels softer and cruisier than the four. The VSA works noticeably harder to keep the car on the road, but still lets the driver have plenty of fun. V6 and Luxury models add curtain airbags and the top of the line V6 Luxury also gets a reversing camera. Unfortunately, the camera is not available even as an option on other models _ something that we believe is an oversight. Fuel economy for the V6 using standard unleaded 10.0 litres/100km on the knocker, but it is able to achieve four cylinder-like economy on longer runs. The change from six, to four or three cylinders is imperceptible. The car measures 4945mm and rear legroom is generous even for taller passengers, with a back seat that folds down to accommodate longer loads. The luggage area itself is good without being remarkable, compromised by the addition of the full-size spare that required the boot floor to be raised several centimetres. You can’t have everything. The tow rating of the car is 1200kg. All in all, the Accord looks every inch the winner, particularly the four-cylinder model at $29,990 with its generous equipment list. The lineup could do with the addition of a sports model, but there’s plenty of add-ons to get you there.