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Discussion:The Accord legend continues
By Moses Akaigwe (igwemos@sunnewsonline)
Friday, July 18, 2008
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•2008
Honda Accord
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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The all-new 2008 Honda Accord moves the world of mainstream
transportation towards a refined, dynamic and sophisticated
direction with an expanded range of innovative technologies
designed for more power, greater efficiency and enhanced safety
across the entire lineup of sedans and coupes.
The Accord is simply one of the most popular sedans ever made,
and is, along with Civic, Honda’s best-selling vehicle.
Completely redesigned for 2008 with increased dimensions for
a more spacious interior, the sedan styling theme expresses
a powerful presence with sharp and strong character lines.
To Deepak Daryanani, the Marketing Director of The Honda Place
(Honda marketers in Nigeria), there is nothing more that needs
to be added to the current Accord, at least, for now. And
he is wont to summarise his assessment with: “The former
one was End of Discussion, but this one is Beyond Discussion.
“ The all-new 2008 Accord sedan won’t just take
you there; it will announce your arrival”, Honda Japan
proudly says of the car. The sentiments were echoed by Daryanani,
who described the new Accord as the largest among its competitors.
Some of the statistics reeled out show that the Accord is,
for instance, longer and wider than the Camry, (while the
Accord’s length is 4935, the Camry’s is 4815).
It is the largest, most luxurious Accord ever.
“With the innovative features in the car, the Accord
is moving closer to the BMW … we are no more the mid-size
sedan everybody knew; we are now moving towards the premium
luxury segment”, Daryanani told a group of journalists
to whom he introduced the vehicle at The Honda Place showroom
on Victoria Island, Lagos
"The all-new Honda Accord has become more advanced and
refined with a new level of engineering sophistication,"
said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda
Motor Co., Inc. "As the Honda brand's flagship automobile,
the Accord is designed to exceed expectations with premium
technology, a more spacious interior and increased power,
while retaining the fun-to-drive character and innovative
feel that has always distinguished the Accord."
The Accord is available in sedan and coupe body styles (the
latter is not available in Nigeria) with 2.0 and 2.4-litre
4-cylinder and 3.5-liter V-6 engine choices. Available transmissions
include a 5-speed manual (standard with all 4-cylinder engines),
a 5-speed automatic (standard on sedan V-6 models, available
with all 4-cylinder engines and V-6-powered Accord Coupes,)
The 3.5-litre i-VTEC V-6 engine version (which may not be
available in Nigerian market) produces 268-horsepower - the
most ever for any Accord - while introducing a new generation
of fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology
and achieving a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) rating.
The VCM system operates in six-cylinder mode for power and
4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency, resulting in an EPA
city/highway fuel economy rating of 19/29 miles per gallon
(Accord Sedan V-6).
Also current for Accord, an Advanced Compatibility Engineering
(ACE) body structure enhances frontal collision compatibility
with vehicles of different sizes and bumper heights. Additional
safety equipment standard to all Accord models includes Vehicle
Stability Assist (VSA), also known as Electronic Stability
Control; side-curtain airbags; dual-chamber front side airbags
with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS),
active front seat head restraints, anti-lock brakes and more.
Interior
Premium quality with a simple, modern and spacious design
describes the philosophy behind the Accord's interior. The
larger Accord Sedan total interior volume of 120.0 cubic feet
(+3.3 cubic feet compared to 2007) moves the EPA classification
from the midsize sedan class to the large sedan class. The
additional space is intended to provide "equal"
seating comfort for front and rear passengers.
The Accord interior is designed for a dynamic, intuitive and
upscale presence, starting with an easy-to-read information
display on every vehicle.
A zone styling approach separates operation-related instruments
(top) and information-related instruments (lower). At night,
the controls are further separated by colour to distinguish
between climate controls (aqua green) and audio controls (white).
Classically-styled gauges for the speedometer and tachometer
are perfectly round (instead of being truncated at the bottom).
Steering wheel audio controls are standard on every Accord.
Careful attention was paid to the symmetry of the exterior
and interior of the vehicle - including sight lines related
to the dashboard height and the visual presence of the hood
to the driver.
Redesigned front bucket seats are larger, and feature substantial
lateral support to complement the Accord's sporting side.
The fold-down lockable rear seatback increases cargo-carrying
versatility; the sedan includes a lockable pass-through.
Chassis
A performance-inspired double-wishbone front suspension and
a multi-link rear suspension are designed to provide world-class
chassis dynamics. The Accord Sedan wheelbase of 110.2 inches
is 2.3 inches longer than the 2007 model, while the 62.2-inch
front/rear track is 1.1 and 1.0 inches wider, respectively.
The Accord Coupe wheelbase of 107.9 inches is 2.8 inches longer
than the 2007 model (track is identical to sedan). Ultimately,
the suspension design with wider tire sizes, standard ABS
and standard Vehicle Stability Assist is intended to enhance
driver’s confidence and handling performance.
Safety
Through a comprehensive and evolving approach to vehicle safety,
Honda seeks to provide a high level of occupant and pedestrian
protection in all of its cars and trucks, regardless of size
or price, as well as increased compatibility with other vehicles
as part of the Safety for Everyone initiative introduced in
2003. Consistent with the Safety for Everyone initiative,
every 2008 Accord integrates sophisticated safety technology
that includes the ACE body structure; side curtain airbags;
driver's and front passenger's dual-chamber side airbags with
a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS);
and dual-stage, dual-threshold driver's and front passenger's
airbags (SRS).
Additionally, the Accord has active front seat head restraints
that are designed to help reduce the severity of neck injury
in the event of a rear collision. Standard active safety features
include VSA, a four-wheel disc anti-lock brake system (ABS)
with brake assist and electronic brake distribution (EBD),
front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system and load
limiters, and a pedestrian safety design in the front of the
vehicle. Passenger-side seatbelt reminders and daytime running
lights are also standard equipment.
History
The Honda Accord was first Japanese-nameplate car assembled
in the United States and calendar year 2007 represents the
25th anniversary of its manufacture there. The first Japanese-built
Accord was introduced as a 1976 model, and by 1982 it was
being manufactured both in Japan and in a brand-new automobile
assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio. The success of the Accord
set a path for Honda, and conclusively proved that assembling
cars in America was a viable proposition. Seven more Accord
generations followed, leading to the eighth-generation 2008
Accord.
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