Honda previews all-new Euro Accord
Here's the first proper look at Honda's revamped mid-sizerHonda has issued the first official images -- but few technical details -- of its second-generation Euro Accord.
The car pictured here is actually the US-spec Acura TSX -- as it's known in North America. The TSX is positioned as the entry-level sedan in the Acura (Honda's US-only premium offshoot brand) line-up.
Expect to see the Honda-badged version of the car (more here) at the upcoming Geneva motor show. Meanwhile, the TSX will debut a few weeks later (on March 19/20) at the New York International Auto Show.
Honda/Acura is for now keeping mum about the car's nitty-gritty, boasting only that it will feature "numerous advancements in performance, styling, technology and safety".
"The new 2009 TSX speaks clearly to the direction we are taking our Acura sedans in the future," said Honda's North American boss, Dick Colliver.
"The TSX is a significant step in the advancement of our sedan lineup and the continued enhancement of the Acura brand."
The styling carries over the edgy theme of the existing Accord Euro, but it appears broader-shouldered and wider-stanced. This would be consistent with the upsizing process that the more mainstream Accord has gone through in its latest iteration.
Overall, the car's design is evolutionary, but there appears to be enough progression to keep it fresh for the next four or five years.
What remains to be seen is whether it brings a significant improvement on the crisp dynamics of the existing Accord Euro, which (along with the Mazda6 and Subaru Liberty) revitalised the formerly languishing medium-car segment.
The engine line-up is expected to include Honda's new i-DTEC diesel engine, which should deliver low emission levels and punchy performance.
Although long in the tooth (it launched here in June, 2003), the Accord Euro is still a reasonably strong seller. It found 8274 buyers in 2007, compared with 10,013 in 2006.
The arrival of the new model should push sales well past the 1000 units per month mark.
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