Honda Accord Hybrid Road Test Review

Let’s sing the birthday song first. The Honda Accord is into its 40^th year today, having been launched in 1976. The Accord has sold more than 21 million units all over the world. In these last 40 years the car has undergone a lot of changes and its latest avatar, the 9^th generation Honda Accord, is a mix of high end engine technology wrapped so efficiently with delicate green cover. Yes, this is the Honda Accord Hybrid and is powered by a 2.0 litre Atkinson cycle DOHC 16 valves i-VTEC engine along with an Intelligent Multi-mode Drive (i-MMD) 2-motor hybrid system.

By offering an efficient hybrid system in this car, Honda is making it clear that it is indeed pursuing its goal to make their vehicles as green as possible. Moreover, with a hybrid system in place, they have ensured a fair mix of engine power and good fuel efficiency. Together the internal combustion engine and the hybrid system produce a combined output of 212hp with a fuel efficiency of 23.1kmpl. The car mind you is not just about a green revolution; rather it’s also about neat styling, pampered seating, savvy electronics and decent driving abilities.

Let’s talk about the engine first because that is what is radically new in this Accord. Why did Honda go for an Atkinson cycle engine?

The Atkinson cycle has made a comeback thanks to hybrids. But how exactly does it work? Please remember that this Atkinson cycle engine is far different from what James Atkinson developed in 1882. Back then it was a complicated mechanical system in use but today with loads of electronics and software, the same purpose is met---to keep the engine valve open longer while the piston is in action so as to ensure increase in the cylinder’s displacement. It’s ideal for a hybrid engine. This old technology has been given a modern alteration like in this Accord where the electric motor helps to overcome the Atkinson’s shortcomings on the power front without compromising on fuel efficiency.

Okay, now back to the engine. The Honda’s i-MMD uses a two motor hybrid system with three operating modes—EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive. Most of the time when the vehicle is being driven it is on Hybrid Drive where the gasoline engine powers the electric generator motor which in turn provides power to the lithium ion batteries thereby setting off the electric propulsion motor to swing into action. Depending on the speeds the electric propulsion motor and the petrol engine take turns to power the drive wheels through the propulsion motor. So the duo works as series hybrid. The EV mode is 100pc electric motor dependent and comes into action when you are starting from stop and cruising at gentle speeds. You can lock the vehicle in EV mode but then you barely get a straight km thereafter on pure EV mode. Of course when braking, the EV mode is much in use. The petrol engine is off during the EV mode and is decoupled from the drive train to reduce friction. 

The Engine Drive mode comes into play as speeds increase and any shortcoming from the Atkinson cycle engine is made up by the electric motor drive. Here the system works as a parallel hybrid. To generate a sportier response from the engine one can engage the Sport Mode and you can experience rapid acceleration. For more sedate and responsible driving one can opt for the ECON mode where throttle response is very gradual and focus is more on fuel efficiency. The Honda Accord has an Electric Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT) and mind you unlike a conventional CVT, it uses two motors for driving and generating power. Thus depending on the speeds it optimally controls the petrol engine and electric motor rotation ensuring decent power and fuel efficiency. This efficiency is further enhanced by the Accord Hybrid’s electric servo brake system which provides regenerative braking and which in turn charges the battery.

Driving the car is made easy and safe with features like ABS with electronic brake distribution, brake assist, vehicle stability assist with traction control and motion adaptive electric power steering which not only stabilizes vehicles under braking but mitigates understeer and oversteer. 

Overall the car may be brilliant with its efficient hybrid system, but I felt it was more like a well behaved school boy, one of those studious guys who never ever gets into trouble. But a mode like the Sport mode gets this car all charged up. A feature I found very interesting in the car is the lane watch feature which enhances the driver’s view of side traffic. There is a tiny camera on the side mirror which can be manually or automatically activated when a driver signals left. The video display on the screen shows what is behind you. I wish there was a camera in the right ORVM too, With erratic traffic conditions all over India, this feature can be of great help. This definitely helps on the safety front, apart from the airbags like front ones, front side ones and side curtain ones add to the safety of the occupants.

Exterior

The new Honda Accord Hybrid is not all about boring science classes, rather it’s quite sporty to look at with a fair amount of sophistication. The front fascia with its sharp styling, the large intake like meshed areas house new standard LED fog lights. In fact the headlights too are LED with Led daytime running lights and tail lights. The hood has a neat contour and the front grille is a lot pronounced. While the front is quite chic, the rear too has its fair share of good looks with a sharply sculpted  rear bumper fascia and new LED taillight design. Not to miss are the blue accents on the front grille headlights and tail lights and the Hybrid badging. Adding to the good looks are the body coloured outside rear view mirror with side turn indicators, chrome front grille, body coloured sill garnish and chrome outer handles. The car sits on 8 inches sporty alloy wheels and it’s even got a unique design. There’s an electric sunroof with tilt feature, shark fin roof antennae and integrated trunk spoiler. The Honda Accord Hybrid is so well styled that it can be mistaken for a German luxury car!

Interiors

Interiors are where you get into a world of sophistication. But before that I need to point out that this car comes with remote engine start. This feature makes loads of sense in this country of ours with extreme climates when you want the air con on and the interiors cool before you step in or the heater on and interiors warm. All I need to do is to take the key fob and press the Lock button and then hold the engine button for a second. The Accord hazard lights will flash telling you that the signal has gone through. When you start the engine this way, the wipers, lighting and audio systems remain off and the security system remains set. The engine remains on for ten minutes after which it shuts off but you can extend it for another 10 minutes by the same procedure. Once you get into a car with the right temperature, then all one has to do is apply the brake and press the Start button which turns on all the other systems in the vehicle which were earlier shut off.

As for entering the car, it’s remote keyless entry and with the key in your pocket you can walk up to the car and open it by touching the door handle.

Once seated you are treated to plush leather upholstery with wood grain accents. When you are in the driver’s seat you get to see a large analog instrumentation and a 7.7 inch colour multi information display. This provides a range of information and trip computer functions. Beneath this is the 7 inch touch screen display audio system. This car has a 360 watt 7-speaker audio system with subwoofer and tweeters. The system supports CD/DVD playback / HDMI connectivity and USB interface that allow iPods, Iphones or flash drives to be connected. Your smartphone experience is enhanced by Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features. Features like satellite linked navigation system with voice recognition and voice activation features add a lot of fun and convenience to the driver.

The wrapped 4-spoke steering wheel comes with some controls that are more frequently used.  Inside the cabin is quite roomy and the seat quite padded and comfortable. The head rests have soft padding for a lot of comfort. The front head rests are of a size to afford rear passenger a better view forward. There is ample storage space and the centre console too doubles up to provide more of that. There’s a USB port, a 12Volt power outlet in front of the console and another 12 volt is positioned inside the console. The lid doubles up as a neat arm rest. Each door has a bottle holder and storage space. As for the rear seats, it has a padded centre armrest with dual cupholders. The arm rest can be pushed back in place when not needed.

Coming to the boot, it’s spacious and easy to access and the floor is flat here so it’s easy to place and remove large pieces of luggage.

All I can say is that the new Honda hybrid is not a boring science fiction creation, rather it is a well thought car that provides fun, comfort and safe driving.