Honda Accord VTi-LX 2019 Review

Honda has dropped the V6 and 2.4-litre engines that powered its now superseded (9th generation) Accord. In the transition to the 10th generation of Honda Accord, that's just one of the ways in which the latest Accord is as thoroughly new as any car can be.

The Accord has gone the whole hog. Shorter overall, but providing significantly more boot space, the Accord is also roomier, more fuel efficient and safer in a crash.

The body in white is lighter by 19kg and its bending resistance is 32 per cent better, while the torsional rigidity has improved by 24 per cent. All that contributes to enhanced driving dynamics, noise suppression and, most importantly, crash safety.

The Accord is also better equipped and the hybrid flagship costs around $8500 less than the previous hybrid model last sold here in 2016. In short, the new Accord is comprehensively better than the model it succeeds... on paper at least.

In the real world the new Accord is all that and more. You won't be seduced by the screaming engine, super-slick shifting and limpet-like grip of the Honda Civic Type R – because the Accord has none of those qualities.

What the big Honda has going for it is practicality, refinement, safety, comfort and safe driving dynamics.

Starting with refinement, the Honda Accord hybrid is very quiet on the open road until you use all the available output the 2.0-litre engine has to offer. Under full load and at higher revs it becomes a little strident. What's more, work the engine hard and you'll experience the unlovely CVT drone that many find annoying.

But the engine fires up so smoothly that it's hardly likely to be noticed until the higher reaches of the rev range. At lower to mid-range engine speeds the only tell-tale apart from a light rumble is the pulsating blue stream displayed in the car's energy-flow meter. One of the features of the Accord that plays a part in keeping the cabin quiet is active noise cancellation.

After much questioning, the Honda tech guys explained that the transmission in the hybrid doesn't have "cones and belts", unlike the transmission in the conventional car with the turbocharged engine.

The hybrid's transmission is very much in the same mould as the set-up in the Toyota Camry Hybrid. A planetary gear set varies the output speeds across a range of ratios, and is driven electrically and by the petrol engine, which can be decoupled from the powertrain by a clutch for electric-only driving mode.

In the Accord the system works well, although the EV mode won't take you far before the petrol engine cuts in again to recharge the battery.

After a couple of hours driving the wheels off the hybrid model it posted a fuel consumption figure of 6.5L/100km. Honda's official fuel consumption figures indicate the Accord hybrid is actually more economical in the city and suburbs than cruising along in the country.

In contrast with the hybrid, I found the entry-level Honda Accord turbo model to be more engaging. The engine is (sort of) familiar to anyone who has driven the current CR-V in higher-spec form, but Honda says that while the turbo engine in the Accord shares its architecture, the Accord engine has a different cylinder head and features variable valve timing and lift – VTEC – for the exhaust valves.

As a result, the Accord engine produces more torque than the engine in the CR-V.

It's a frugal engine that's also effective overtaking on country roads. Despite the occasional outbreak of flagrant throttle abuse, the Accord with the turbo engine completed the run from Nagambie to Tullamarine, north of Melbourne, using 6.6L/100km – not far removed from what the turbo achieved a day earlier.

Compared with the 2.0-litre engine powering the hybrid, the turbo unit is a lot more musical and fun when being hammered at higher revs. Honda has calibrated the continuously variable transmission to operate in 'stepped' ranges when the engine is working this hard, so there's practically none of the droning evident in the hybrid model.

Brake pedal feel is something we were told by a Honda product expert would be noticeably different, with a shorter stroke, but compared with some hybrid models from the past the Accord's braking feels measured and reasonably strong under foot… conventional even.

The steering is lightly weighted, but the Accord can be flung around with some confidence. It's no sports car, but it handles flatly and can be placed accurately on the road and driven right up to the limits of adhesion without any qualms. There's plenty of warning from the tyres and the chassis when the driver is asking too much.

The ride is firmer over country-road surfaces, but soaks up smaller bumps quite well in urban settings.

Overall, the Accord is very quiet inside, although the Yokohama tyres fitted to the Accord hybrid can be noisy at touring speeds, if subjected to a coarse-chip bitumen surface. The Michelins fitted to the turbo Accord seem to be substantially quieter. There was also some wind noise in evidence on an open-road cruise through the countryside to the north of Melbourne.

Seat comfort in the Accord is fine, although I did go searching for more lumbar support after about an hour behind the wheel. The driving position is also up to the mark, with plenty of seat and steering column adjustment available. A head-up display can be easily adjusted for height from the dash, rather than drilling down through an infotainment menu.

Honda's left-mirror camera displays in the infotainment screen whenever the driver flicks on the left indicator. It can be a distraction when negotiating a street corner, but could be genuinely useful changing lanes on a freeway. I personally like it, but some don't. Honda does allow the driver to disable the camera by pressing a button in the end of the indicator stalk if it constantly draws your attention away from the road.

There's a lot of customisation available for the left dial of the instrument cluster, including a tachometer option. It's fairly handy and easy to set up the instrument cluster to suit you once the facility has been explained.

Rear-seat headroom is marginal for taller adults, but should be fine for most others. There are adjustable vents back there, plus two recharging USB ports.

The boot is massive for both cars, and there's a cable pull to unlatch the one-piece folding rear seat. A space-saver spare wheel resides under the floor. The hybrid offers the same luggage capacity, with its battery out of the way, located under the rear seat.

After a couple of days driving the two cars, I have come down on the side of the turbo model. Drivers will enjoy it more. It's also more affordable of course, but even the turbo remains expensive, measured against its rivals.

Only prospective buyers can choose for themselves whether the Accord is worth the higher price of admission.

There's no doubt though that Honda will find buyers for the new Accord. And frankly, forget the low-balling sales forecast, the importer's dealer network can expect to sell more than 150 Accords in 2020.

How much does the 2019 Honda Accord VTi-LX turbo cost?
Price: $47,990 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/260Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 6.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 149g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA

How much does the 2019 Honda Accord VTi-LX hybrid cost?
Price: $50,490 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 158kW/315Nm (combined)
Transmission: e-CVT continuously variable
Fuel: 4.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 98g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA