Honda has announced its ninth-generation Accord, due out later in the year, will be smaller and lighter than the outgoing model. It will also be available with an all-new PHEV drivetrain alongside updates to its four-cylinder and V6 petrol engines, the latter deploying elements of the company’s Earth Dreams suite of powertrain technologies.
Details of the hybrid package are scant at the moment, but Honda says it shifts between three modes: all-electric, petrol-electric and petrol-only.
In all-electric mode, the system uses a 120kW electric motor powered by a 6kWh lithium-ion battery. Official documents give it an all-electric range of 16-24km under urban conditions, at speeds of up to 100 km/h. The battery pack will take a flat-to-full charge in less than 90 minutes from a 240-volt domestic outlet.
In petrol-electric hybrid mode, the car pairs the electric motor with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine, putting its power to the front wheels through an electrically operated CVT transmission. For high-speed highway cruising, the car sidelines the electric motor and shifts to full petrol drive.
The hybrid drivetrain will initially be available only in the sedan version.
The Accord sedan and coupe will also herald the introduction of the company’s new Earth Dreams 2.4-litre, direct injection i-VTEC petrol four, driving through a choice of six-speed manual or an all-new CVT tweaked for improvements to acceleration and shift response.
Despite an on-paper drop in power, Honda says the new engine sees palpable performance improvements compared to the same sized mill it replaces, producing 135kW (down from 147) and 240Nm peak torque (up from 220).
The sedan and coupe will also be offered with a re-engineered 3.5-litre V6 engine, driving through a new six-speed auto transmission with a six-speed manual available as an option. Honda hasn’t released the numbers yet, but says the new V6 will see improvements in both wattage and torque over the current engine. It will retain the existing engine’s Variable Cylinder Management (cylinder deactivation) technology.
All 2013 Accord models will carry Honda’s ECO Assist package, a switchable remap to the engine management system that shifts its priorities towards eco-efficiency over performance. It also gives drivers visual signals to encourage more economical driving.
The petrol powered Accords go to market in the US in the northern autumn. The PHEV will follow late in the year.
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