America’s Best-Selling Car: The Honda Accord
Over the last five decades, one car has sold more copies in the U.S. than any other – the Honda Accord. While it is not always the best-selling car in the country, the Accord has always been in the top 10, thanks to its sophisticated design, space, resale value, and fuel economy. The Accord will enter its 11th generation for 2023 with an all-new design and a completely overhauled hybrid-electric drivetrain that Honda says will account for half of its U.S. sales.
Two-Motor Hybrid System
The Accord was available with a hybrid powertrain previously, of course, and earned high marks for both its economical running as well as its driving fun and refinement. But the latest hybrid model really ups the ante. Available in Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring versions, the Hybrid will continue to be manufactured in Ohio.
An all-new, more powerful 4th-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system propels the Accord Hybrid down the road. A pair of electric motors are now mounted side-by-side, while a brand-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine adds direct fuel injection for improved fuel economy. The use of a larger propulsion motor increases torque output to 247 lb-ft, while combined system output is a robust 204 hp.
Honda claims that its hybrid electric drivetrain is also more responsive and more refined at highway speeds. Linear Shift Control for the continuously-variable transmission replicates the feel of a conventional automatic under hard acceleration, while offering the advantage of infinitely-variable gears when cruising.
Changes to the hybrid system also help the new model juggle gasoline and electric power under different conditions for improved economy and responsiveness. Switchable economy, normal, and sport drive modes allow drivers to tailor the powertrain’s response to their taste. Suspension and steering updates should make the Accord even more fun to drive than before, and Honda says that ride quality should be improved as well.
Should you not want to go the hybrid route, a conventional Accord will be available as well, powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission.
Honda Accord Hybrid: Class-Leading Interior
We’re big fans of the interior of the redesigned Honda Civic, which has clean surface, high-quality materials and a number of upscale touches. Materials you see and touch include elegant piano-black trim and a striking metallic mesh that spans the dashboard, concealing the air vents.
The Accord also offers luxury-car levels of space. Total passenger volume is 105.7 cubic feet, and rear seat legroom stretches to almost 41 inches. The front seats are a new “body stabilizing” design, with a new seat frame that firmly holds the body and reduces fatigue on long drives. The trunk is also larger than before, with 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space and standard fold-down rear seats.
Buyers increasingly consider connectivity and tech features to be must-haves, and the 2023 Accord Hybrid features the largest touchscreen ever fitted to a Honda. It also offers built-in Google integration for seamless on-the-go connectivity – drivers can control vehicle functions by voice with Google Assistant, get directions and live traffic updates with Google Maps, and download music, podcasts, audiobooks and more with Google Play. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with a simplified navigation structure, a wireless charger, and more.
Enhanced Accord Safety
The 2023 Accord Hybrid also features the latest version of the Honda Sensing suite of active safety technologies. They are enabled by new front and rear cameras with a wider field of view than before, to provide improved collision prevention performance. The new Hybrid can now better recognize attributes of objects, such as a vehicles or pedestrians, as well as white lines, road boundaries and curbs, other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, and road signs.
Blind spot monitoring has been expanded in the Accord Hybrid, and now has 82 feet of radar range. Traffic jam assist is a new feature for Accord, while adaptive cruise control (ACC) with low-speed following and lane keeping assist functions is also standard.
Made in the USA
With the 2023 Accord, Honda will actually be mark 40 years of Accord production in the U.S. The 11th-generation model, including the all-new Hybrid, will continue to be built in Marysville, Ohio, where Honda has built more than 12.5 million Accords since production began there in 1982. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date in late 2022.
