New Honda Accord revealed but in doubt for Oz

The 11th-generation Honda Accord has finally been revealed and the all-new medium sedan brings with it a host of new technology and safety systems – which may never see the light of day Down Under.

The new Honda Accord was previously confirmed to arrive in Australia in 2023 by former Honda Australia director Stephen Collins, who no longer works for the company.

Collins told carsales in May that the new Accord had been signed off for Australian release by the end of next year, following its US launch in late 2022, which would have seen the famous nameplate mark 50 years of continuous sales Down Under, where the Japanese brand celebrated its golden anniversary in 2019.

A Honda Australia spokesperson today refused to discuss the new model’s local introduction, casting doubt over the new Accord’s future in this country.

Nevertheless, while American Honda Motor Co says the all-new Accord delivers improvements in every respect, it’s the car’s design that has dominated early discussions and has already been dubbed ‘boring’ by many pundits.

The new Honda Accord’s significant safety, technology and chassis updates have been overlooked by many potential buyers who vented their anger on social media, calling for an end to Honda’s conservative design language.

The 2023 Honda Accord promised a sporty new design when it was teased last week, but Honda fans hoping for something more aggressive are apparently disappointed with the ‘safe’ new design.

There aren’t many design flourishes for what appears to be a larger version of the Civic, with a familial front-end design featuring a slim grille and headlight clusters, although the rear-end’s unique LED tail-lights and subtle lip spoiler are a couple of exceptions to that rule.

Gloss-black side skirts and lower bumper lips front and rear add a touch of sportiness, but overall it appears Honda is taking a leaf from the Toyota Camry’s design playbook by avoiding anything daring or dramatic.

The cabin is also very similar to the Civic’s – in fact it’s identical in many respects, with the same steering wheel, dashboard design, 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, cup holders, gear shifter and temperature controls.

The major difference in the cabin is the new Honda Accord’s bigger 12.3-inch infotainment screen – the biggest ever fitted to a Honda vehicle, outsizing the Civic’s 9.0-inch display.

Entry-level Accord sedans get a 7.0-inch touch-screen but, like Australian-market Civic and the current Accord, only top-spec VTi-LX grades are expected to be sold here and pricing will be well above rivals like the Camry and Mazda6, with a starting price of around $60,000.

All the usual tech suspects will be included, such as wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, along with over-the-air (OTA) infotainment software updates and “nearly all vehicle computer modules, enhancing functionality and capability”, says Honda.

The new Accord also represents Honda’s first integration of the Google operating system, which features native support for Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play, and supports a range of apps and services.

Improved safety technology is bundled into the ‘Honda Sensing’ system that includes autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, active lane keep assist and a more advanced camera system.

The Accord is also available with a remote engine immobiliser, a Find-My-Vehicle function for when you lose sight of it in the car park and even a stolen vehicle locator.

All models come with 10 airbags and Honda will debut new-generation front passenger airbags intended to reduce neck and traumatic brain injuries. The new airbags feature a new ‘tuck sewing’ structure and a triple-chamber design in which the twin outer sections “cradle the head and minimize rotation”, claims the Japanese car-maker.

In terms of powertrains, the US Honda Accord has ditched its lusty 188kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (which was never offered here), leaving the carryover 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine (143kW/260Nm) to soldier on with minor tweaks.

The 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain (152kW/335Nm) features two new electric motors and, while torque has been upped by 20Nm, power has dropped by 6kW.

The new 2023 Accord “sets a new benchmark for sporty, yet comfortable and refined driving dynamics”, says Honda, and features a more rigid chassis and stiffer body shell, along with new front brace bars to improve driver engagement.

Honda has also retuned the front and rear independent suspension, while adding new ball-joints and damper mount bearings to improve steering feel. It insists the new model will be more fun to drive and if the new Civic is any indication, that claim could hold water.

Honda Australia’s current Accord is built in Thailand but, if it’s replaced, it remains to be seen where the new model will be sourced from, with the USA and Japan both in the running.

Honda Australia wasn’t willing to comment on pricing or timing for the new model, nor whether both hybrid and conventional petrol engines will return to Oz.

But based on its former chief’s commitment to the flagship Honda passenger car and hybrid model, we expect to see the new Accord in local showrooms within about 12 months – almost certainly accompanied by higher pricetags than the current model ($57,900 for the 1.5 and $61,900 for the hybrid, both drive-away).

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au