Honda Accord 2013 News

The Australasian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced another round of national safety recalls, with models from Audi, Honda and Skoda impacted by the call backs.

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Honda have unveiled their 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid for the US market, which boasts a 4.8L/100km fuel economy – making it one of the most frugal cars to hit the market.The fuel figure is just 0.9L/100km more than the most economical Toyota Prius model. However, Honda have given no indication yet that we’ll see it as a contender against the Prius here.The new Hybrid, revealed in California for the US market, is being considered by Honda Australia, but no decision has been made.“The Accord Hybrid is under consideration for Australia however we have no time frame,” said Honda Australia spokesperson Melissa Cross.Honda however have announced the hybrid for the Japanese market, meaning that there will be a right-hand drive model manufactured.So prospective Australian customers have to wait, but the car’s reveal gives us a peek into what Honda have in store.Both the US and Japanese Hybrid’s will sport a 5-star safety rating, super low fuel economy and a comprehensive line up of interior technology as standard.The Accord Hybrid features the same styling as the standard Accord Sedan, but has an added unique hybrid badge, blue-accented light lenses and grille, LED daytime running lights, a unique wheel design and a spoiler.The Honda Accord Hybrid has the new two-motor Hybrid powertrain, which we have already seen in the Accord Plug In, released earlier this year. The Accord Hybrid has an added ‘Sport Hybrid Intelligent Multi Mode Drive’ powertrain, which allows the car to move through three driving modes.‘EV Drive’ is for off the line starts and normal cruising. ‘Engine Drive’ is for high speed cruising on the highway. ‘Hybrid Drive takes charge of the 124-kW electric motor, and a 2-0 litre DOHC i-VTEC 4 cylinder engine, while remaining efficient in stop-start situations. Honda say the result is smooth, powerful acceleration.Honda have introduced more tech to its already long list, with instantaneous fuel economy and energy flow information joining Honda’s LaneWatch, lane departure warning and forward collision warning on an 8-inch colour display.Interior comfort hasn’t been withheld, with HondaLink and Aha radio making its way into this Honda after its 2013 debut. The technology allows you to browse Facebook, News, Twitter and more content in your car – while it’s not moving we hope. ‘Aha’ radio from Harman brings your favourite music content to you on the go, syncing up with your phone for your favourite tracks, playlists and stations.As well as being economical, the Accord Hybrid is also safe. It boats a 5-star NCAP Safety rating, due to its ‘ACE’ body structure which debuted in the 2013 Accord, along with Honda’s new ‘SmartVent’ airbags.The Accord Hybrid goes on sale in the US in October 2013, with no word yet on an Australian release time frame.

Check out Honda Australia's new ad for the 2013 Accord. 

Information is good, but domination is bad. So I like big digital speedometers, blind-spot warning systems and reversing cameras, but I'm against automatic parking, radar cruise controls and anything which can influence the steering.My personal jury is still out on automatic emergency braking, but I think it's probably going to get a tick. The reason for this reluctance runs all the way back to the very first cars I drove with anti-skid braking systems, a BMW 5 Series and a Honda Accord.I can clearly remember the wheels of the Accord chattering and skidding as I tried a panic stop, but the Five was worse. I was driving on a gravel road when I needed to brake for a corner.I did, but the car did not, and I can clearly picture to this day the tree I narrowly missed as I arrowed off the road with the ABS system working - or not - precisely as the engineers intended.Hitting the personal fast-forward button, there was a Lexus that insisted on applying emergency braking power when another driver cut into my lane and cut the beam for the over-sensitive radar cruise control, a Camry that cut engine power just when I needed it in a corner, and a Volkswagen that refused to accelerate from a Stop sign because I was holding the car on the brake at the same time as tickling the throttle.Just last year, there was a Mercedes-Benz that swerved me into the path of an oncoming car when it detected that I had drifted over the white line, when in fact I was easing gently away from a potential head-on smash.I know that technology improves and I like some of the stuff that makes life easier, but I was overwhelmed this week by the all-new Volkswagen Golf and a bank of safety equipment that runs from a fatigue monitor to radar cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, automatic parking and even multi-collision braking to stop the car after a crash.A lot of this stuff is good, and there's no doubt that it should make our roads safer. But it's also encouraging a breed of drivers who are really just passengers, relying on their cars to save them from themselves. And that cannot be good.This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover 

The Accord, here in the middle of next year, boasts a bigger cabin with more luggage room but overall, is about 130mm shorter. It is also 25kg lighter thanks to its 56 per cent use of high-tensile steel. Unusual for Honda is that this car will be the same for its global markets. Previously there were design and structural differences between Accords made in the US and, for example, Thailand, Japan or China. New is a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) that replaces the five-speed conventional automatic. A six-speed manual remains an option in the 2.4-litre while the 3.5-litre carry-over V6 - with cylinder management that lets it run on three cylinders - gets a six-speed automatic. Honda claims the CVT will mean better fuel economy and improve acceleration. Honda's "Earth Dreams'' drivetrains make an appearance with three powerplants - a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, a V6 and a hybrid. Unlike many of its rivals, there is no turbocharging. The 2.4-litre claims more power, better fuel economy and lower emissions than its predecessor. It will have direct petrol injection and an updated variable-valve timing system that includes variable cam timing. It is expected to produce about 140kW. Plans are for a new two-motor Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) Accord model next year but Honda Australia hasn't made a call on this. It will be the first time Honda has put this technology into production. Information released the week in the US says the two-motor hybrid system allows engine power to drive the front wheels, charge the battery pack or power the generator. It is similar in design to the Holden Volt's drivetrain. The car defaults to electric-drive mode from startup and - after being charged up overnight - can drive for up to 25km before the petrol engine automatically kicks in to charge the batteries. It is expected to have a range greater than 800km and a fuel economy equivalent of more than 2.4 L/100km. Honda says a 240-volt charging system can recover 12km of electric-only range in 30 minutes and fully charge in an hour. The car can run its climate control full blast and remain in electric mode. The PHEV Accord will be joined in most global markets later in 2013 by a cheaper, more conventional hybrid that has the same drivetrain design as the Civic Hybrid model. Honda has also dropped the double-wishbone front suspension and reverted to the more common MacPherson strut system. It made the same move with the Civic about six years ago. The Accord will also have electric-assist steering to further reduce fuel consumption. Honda Australia expects the Accord here in the middle of 2013.  

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.  

More than 50 Euro owners have reported the combustion problem, which Honda Australia describes as a 'post-combustion detonation sound'. Honda brought an engineering team from Japan to study and resolve the problem, which was also reported in a handful of cars in the USA. It only affects the Euro with 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine. "A counter measure has been developed. We will receive it at the end of this month and will be contacting customers to recify their vehicles," says Honda Australia's spokesman, Mark Higgins. "It's a handful of cars. We've sold 9000 or 10,000 Euros in the past year and it's around 60 vehicles maximum." He says Honda is taking the problem very seriously. "Honda R&D people came out from Japan. We had a team of engineers here for about two weeks," he says. Higgins is not aware of the specific changes to solve the problem but believes it is an electronic counter-measure. "We're not sure if it's a specification specific. We don't know what the issue is, as yet," he says. "But the good news is that we had an issue, and there is a counter- measure. It's an electronic or ECU issue, not a mechanical issue. "The other thing to remember ... is that this is doing no harm whatsoever to the engine. We guarantee the engine will have no ill effects. It has also had no effect on performance or the fuel economy."