Honda Accord Sport Hybrid 2015 Review

Honda was the first brand to offer hybrid cars in Australia almost 15 years ago, but its hybrid offerings have been sporadic since then, including the discontinued Jazz, CR-Z and Civic hybrids. Now it has re-entered the hybrid market with a twist, in the form of a top-end petrol-electric sedan priced from almost $60,000 – the Accord Sport Hybrid.

Honda Australia makes no apology for aiming high with its latest – and only – hybrid model, a new 'technology flagship' that is also the most expensive Honda model and will be sold exclusively through specialist hybrid vehicle dealerships in Australia's five biggest cities.

Based on the large, ninth-generation US-oriented Accord released Down Under two years ago in June 2013 rather than the discontinued Accord Euro, it will be joined in that handful of metro-only showrooms by the NSX supercar late next year and, presumably, eventual replacements for the hybrid Jazz, Civic and, potentially, CR-Z.

Like the Toyota Prius, which arrived here six months after Honda's original Insight coupe in October 2001 and has gone on to become the world's most popular hybrid vehicle, the Accord hybrid is also available in plug-in hybrid form in major overseas markets like the US.

But like the larger Japanese brand's locally-built Camry hybrid, Honda's mid-size hybrid sedan is not mains-rechargeable and offers a paltry 2km of claimed maximum electric-only power, with its primary motivation being a dedicated Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine matched to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

As such, like the Camry hybrid, the Accord hybrid acts like an EV in silent start-up and take-off mode, when it can proceed briefly (very briefly; we couldn't get it to go more than a few hundred metres without the petrol engine kicking in) solely under electric power.

It also has an EV button that (provided there's enough charge in the battery, which in this case is a more advanced lithium-ion unit rather than the Toyota's old-school nickel-metal hydride pack) allows you to make quiet early-morning departures or sneaky late-night arrivals.

With the petrol-electric system running at full steam, there's a surprisingly satisfying surge of torque both off the line and from a steady throttle at any speed.

The downside is that any request for decent acceleration is accompanied by a raucous clatter from the petrol engine that sounds at odds with the top-shelf Accord's high-tech promise.

This is exacerbated by the CVT, which like all but a handful of good ones (Subaru's, for one) does a great impersonation of a slipping clutch when you floor the throttle and the engine hits full noise long before peak power arrives at the front wheels.

It feels quicker than it is too, since Honda claims the Accord hybrid offers performance equivalent the entry-level Accord 2.4 -- despite a significant output advantage of 146kW/307Nm versus 129kW/225Nm.

The reason is the electrified Accord hauls around an extra 70kg of battery pack, which is mounted behind the rear seat, preventing the seatbacks from folding and reducing boot space by 76 litres to just 381 litres – plus a 34-litre under-floor tub, which replaces the spare.

That makes the 1642kg Accord hybrid slightly less powerful than Camry hybrid (151kW/350Nm) and significantly less powerful than the range-topping Accord V6 (206kW/339Nm).

That's where the Camry similarities end, however, because the Accord hybrid employs an innovative two-motor petrol-electric system combining a 2.0-litre engine with a pair of electric motors, a world-first electric-servo regenerative braking system a 1.3kWh lithium-ion battery.

The way it works is complicated but in simple terms a 124kW AC synchronous permanent-magnet propulsion motor provides primary motive power for the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) hybrid system and, when in regenerative mode, converts kinetic energy into electrical energy to recharge the battery.

A separate generator motor is driven by the petrol engine to generate electric energy to drive the propulsion motor in Hybrid Drive Mode, resulting in three drive modes: all-electric, hybrid (engine and motors) and engine-only.

Operated by a console-mounted straight-gate shifter, the E-CVT comes with two automatic modes: D and B, the latter offering a solid dose of engine braking effect, but not as much as, say, the BMW i3.

The result is claimed average fuel consumption of just 4.6L/100km, which is lower than the Camry hybrid (5.2L/100km) and makes it the most fuel-efficient mainstream (sub-$60K) sedan available in Australia.

Like many hybrids, it consumes less around town, where electricity can provide much of its power, with an official urban figure of just 3.7L/100km, yet after an extensive launch drive taking in plenty of fast country roads, freeway stretches and peak-hour city traffic, we recorded just 5.7L/100km, which surprised us.

Apart from the drivetrain, the Sports Hybrid drives much like the standard Accord, despite its name and the exclusive fitment of Amplitude Reactive Dampers, beefier 19mm front and 16mm rear stabiliser bars and an aluminium front subframe and rear bumper beam to help offset the extra weight of the rear-mounted battery pack.

Body control via the MacPherson strut and independent multi-link rear suspension is good, the electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is reasonably accurate and responsive but lacks feels, the ride is firm but comfortable enough – except over potholes that make it feel brittle – and the tyres are noisy on coarse road surfaces.

Apart from a smaller boot, the interior will also be familiar to Accord drivers, meaning a roomy and high-quality but conservative cabin with plenty of soft-touch plastic and woodgrain trim surfaces, and that confounded footbrake.

But the hybrid takes the Accord's interior tech up a notch, via gadgets like the Intuitive Gauge Cluster, which presents a large analogue speedo wrapped around a display showing key hybrid system functions ahead of the driver.

There's no tacho, bute there is a hybrid energy flow display, Eco Guide and Eco Score information, illuminated Eco Assist arcs, a digital real-time battery usage/regeneration level indicator and digital battery charge and fuel level indicator.

There's also a 5.8-inch colour central touch-screen for the audio system, above which is the large 8.0-inch colour Intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID), which serves as the control centre for its electronic functions and displays the multi-angle reversing camera views plus LaneWatch blind-spot monitoring, fuel economy and audio functions.

Naturally, the top-spec Accord comes with all of Honda's Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) aids, including Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) and Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), which gently steers the car back into its lane if you let it wander on dual-carriageways.

Apart from all the regular safety features, also standard is a unique leather-clad multi-function steering wheel, powered sunroof, satellite-navigation, Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio connectivity, 360-Watt six-speaker sound, keyless start/entry, leather-appointed seat trim, dual-zone climate-control, auto projector-beam LED headlights, auto wipers, mirror-mounted LED turn indicators, eight-way powered front seats and driver's seat memory.

On the outside, the most expensive Honda is differentiated by a blue-tinged grille and headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, a revised rear bumper diffuser and unique 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 R18 tyres and hybrid badging on the front guards and bootlid, making it stand out from the crowd more than the Camry hybrid.

But with a $58,990 pricetag (plus on-road costs, making it $7000 dearer than the Accord V6 and a whole $27,500 pricier than the entry-level Accord VTi auto), Honda's first Accord hybrid is in a different league to the fleet-friendly Camry hybrid – the only other mainstream mid-size hybrid sedan currently available in Australia -- which costs a little more than half that at base level ($30,490).

In fact, Honda says its closest rival is the sportier, rear-drive Lexus IS 300h hybrid, which costs $2000 less at $57,000, but we reckon it's more likely to be cross-shopped with the larger, front-drive Lexus ES 300h, which starts about $1500 higher at $60,500.

Honda says it has no sales target for its new technology flag-waver, which it admits will be a niche model, and we expect the Accord hybrid to appeal to a small number of large luxury car buyers keen on being seen to be green.

Indeed, the Accord Sport Hybrid lives up to its efficiency promise, but the only thing sporty about Honda's only hybrid is its name.

2015 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid pricing and specifications:
Price: $58,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid
Total output: 146kW/307Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 4.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 107g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

What we liked:
>> Fuel efficiency
>> Safety features
>> Unique design touches

Not so much:
>> Price
>> Smaller boot
>> Noisy powertrain and tyres

Also consider:
>> Lexus ES 300h (from $60,500 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Camry Hybrid Atara SL ($40,440 plus ORCs)