Honda Accord: Impressive gen-10 version is all-new

The 2018 Accord is all-new and showcasing a longer wheelbase, lower overall height, wider body, wider wheel tracks, and a shortened overall length. This translates into a much more athletic stance for an Accord that had gotten a bit overwrought and seemingly a bit overweight for many customers.

This Gen-10 Accord is new from the ground up with an advanced chassis design, two direct-injected and turbocharged engines, and the world’s first 10-speed automatic transmission for a front-drive car. Not a bad way to impress.

All-New

Honda says the new Accord is the most radical redesign of the Accord ever put out by the Japanese auto powerhouse. Given its 42 years in the U.S. and 13 million sales of hatchbacks, coupes, sedans and station wagons, that’s a mighty bold statement. The likelihood is – it’s true.

Featuring just four-door sedans with the Accord plated on its rear lid, Honda is counting on this new Accord to press the competition, which includes sales heavyweight Toyota Camry. Truth is that both perennial seller are probably getting more pressure from crossovers than each other.

Design Enhancements

The Accord, while marketed as a midsize, offers the interior volume of a large sedan. On my Touring tester, I experienced 103 cu. feet for passengers and 17 cu. feet of trunk space.

Accord features a noticeable lower center of gravity, lighter weight, stiffer structure, suspension and steering enhancements, streamlined wind-cheating bodywork, improved visibility, more comfortable and supportive seats, quieter interior, bigger passenger space and trunk, and excellent interior design and ergonomics that includes radio knobs instead of a touch screens.

Power

Accord has taken the leap and gone all-turbo with its engines: a 192-horsepower, 1.5-liter 4-cylinder with 192 lb.-ft. of torque and a 252-horsepower, and 2.0-L 4-cylinder with 273 lb.-ft. of torque. My tester was the fully-equipped Accord Touring trim level with the 2.0-L engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode.

It was not that long ago Honda publicly avoided turbo engines, though it now embraces the small powerplant benefits, including improved fuel economy. My Touring model got 23/34/29 mpg.

On the Road

The Touring features Honda’s new gear selector. It uses pushbuttons for all functions except Reverse, which is a pull-up button. There also are selectable drive modes, one of which enhances fuel economy.

The Accord handles with ease and it is comfortable to push around town or on the highway. If you jab the accelerator, you get the power, but also a brash exhaust note of strain. I found the well-bolstered seats up front to be a bit more accommodating that the rear seats, but overall it is comfy and cozy.

The base price for the 2018 Honda Accord is $23,570. My Touring 2.0T tester had a final landing price of $36,675, but it was equipped with a long list of great options such as: adaptive shock absorbers, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, navigation, memory driver’s seat, head-up display, LED headlights, wireless smart phone charging, ventilated front seats and heated back seats, and the new Honda Link driver assist system that includes Wi-Fi and remote engine starting.

This auto review was researched and written by SteinPro Content Services and provided to the Sun-Times for publication