2018 Honda Accord

The 2018 Accord is the 10th generation of Honda's perennially best-selling midsize sedan. All new from the ground up, the new Accord is built on a new platform with a lower, wider stance, a lighter and more rigid unibody structure; a lighter and more sophisticated chassis; three advanced new power units, including Accord's first-ever turbocharged engines, a new 10-speed automatic transmission and a third-generation two-motor hybrid system.

In recreating Accord for its 10th generation, Honda designers and engineers sought to convey "absolute confidence" in every element of design and performance. Building on the bedrock character of Accord – its outstanding quality, fuel efficiency, packaging and sophisticated driving dynamics – they have imbued the 10th-generation Accord with a new level of emotional appeal and premium quality; an Accord that defies its mainstream midsize sedan status, providing even more refined and engaging performance, a more spacious and upscale interior, and the latest generation of advanced Honda safety, connected-car and driver-assistive technologies.

In summary, the most dramatically styled, premium and fun-to-drive Accord yet.

What's New?
Virtually everything on the Accord is new and substantially reengineered. Major new engineering features and technologies for the 10th-generation Accord redesign are as follows:

Body

Chassis

Powertrain

Connectivity and Driver-Assistive Technology

Packaging and Design
In reimagining Accord, designers first established the fundamental packaging strategy. Consistent with the "Man Maximum-Machine Minimum (MM)" design philosophy that underpins all Honda designs, the team shrunk the Accord's footprint while expanding its interior space, at the same time creating more premium and athletic proportions and stance. The move to 4-cylinder engines across the lineup is a key component of this approach, allowing a shorter engine bay while also reducing weight and improving dynamic performance.

The new Accord has a longer wheelbase (+2.16 inches), a lower overall height (-0.59 in.) and wider body (+0.39 in.), wider wheel tracks (+0.20 in. front, +0.79 in. rear), a shortened overall length (-0.39 in.) and a lower, sportier seating position (-1.0 in. front, -0.79 in. rear). 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 sharply from the window sills to the roof, further emphasizing the wide lower body, while inside the cabin the seats have been moved slightly inward, which 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 1.9 inches of added rear legroom. Overall passenger volume is increased by 2.5 cubic feet (LX trim) and trunk space, at 16.7 cubic feet on all models and trims, is up 0.9 cubic feet on 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter models and 3.2 cubic feet on the Accord Hybrid, aided by the repackaging of the hybrid battery pack beneath the rear seats.

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.

A new laser brazing process that joins the roof to the body side panels creates a clean exterior appearance with no need for a 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 available 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 on the lower (and 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 doorsills, 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 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 a7-inch TFT digital driver's meter and an available new 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen interface with physical volume and tuning knobs. More intuitive, smartphone-like features and functionality including customizable app tiles and home-screen shortcuts, along with available Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ compatibility and Wi-Fi-enabled over-the-air system updates, further enhance the new Accord.

The Accord also offers 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 also feature a new 6-inch driver's head-up display, wireless device charging, 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi, and fast, automatic Bluetooth® phone pairing with Near Field Communication technology.

Turbocharged and Electrified Powertrains
The 2018 Accord takes an entirely new approach to performance by featuring three advanced new powerplants – two turbocharged 4-cylinder engines and the third generation of Honda's two-motor hybrid powertrain technology. A new Honda-developed 10-speed automatic transmission (10AT), the first of its kind for a front-wheel-drive car, is paired with the new 2.0-liter engine, and a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission is available for both turbocharged engines in Sport trim.

The new 1.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with dual Variable Timing Control (dual VTC) and VTEC produces a peak of 192 horsepower (SAE net) at 5,500 rpm and 192 lb.-ft. of torque (SAE net) from 1,600 to 5,000 rpm, up from 185 HP (SAE net) at 6,400 rpm and 181 lb.-ft. (SAE net) 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 VTEC® valvetrain and dual VTC, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission or, in Sport trim, to the 10AT or an available 6-speed manual. The new 2.0-liter turbo, sharing much of its design with the 2017 Civic Type R, produces 252 HP (SAE net) at 6,500 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque (SAE Net) from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm, compared to 278 HP (SAE net) at 6,200 rpm and 252 lb.-ft. (SAE net) at 4,900 rpm for the 3.5-liter V6 that it replaces.

The new Accord Hybrid is powered by the 3rd-generation of Honda's two-motor hybrid technology featuring a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC Atkinson cycle engine with greater than 40 percent thermal efficiency, the highest for any mass-produced Honda engine, paired with two electric motors. 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 Hybrid models and trims.

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 ever for a 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 chassis is 6-percent lighter than before (not including wheels and tires) and features a new Macpherson strut front suspension with L-shaped aluminum lower arms mounted to an 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.

Touring trims of Accord 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 (0.002 second), using a proprietary Honda control algorithm, providing for a more compliant and controlled ride in all driving situations. The adaptive dampers are tied to a Two-Mode Driving System with Normal and Sport modes that allows 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.

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 percent front/rear. Accords with the new 2.0-liter VTEC turbo and 10AT check in at approximately 61/39 percent front/rear, a significant improvement versus the current V6 Accord with 6AT.

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, 3-microphone Active Noise Control system. The result is low noise levels with a well-balanced sound quality and a pleasingly sporty engine note.

Advanced Safety and Driver-Assistive Technology
For 2018, all Accords 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, for the first time, Traffic Sign Recognition (see Safety section for more details). Additional available driver-assistive technologies include Blind Spot Information, front and rear parking sensors, Rear 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 Booster, 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.