Honda Unwraps a New Accord

Honda Unwraps a New Accord

The Car Connection says that the new Accord is bolder and more stylish than the 2007 model , especially the coupe:

The buzzword, sporty, is quick to the lips, but it??™s more than just a catchphrase. The two-door is markedly sleeker, with a ***y curve to the roof, the bold character line, sweeping from front wheels to rear lamps, giving the coupe a sense of constant motion.

Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press says that the V.C.M. system in the V-6 engines is more sophisticated than other cylinder deactivation systems on the market :

Its new technology includes an innovative V-6 engine to reduce fuel consumption. The powerplant shuts down cylinders when the engine does not need all its power to become either a four- or three-cylinder. Other automakers offer cylinder deactivation systems to boost mileage, but they offer only one fuel-saving mode.

Bob Gritzinger of AutoWeek spotlights the V-6 coupe as the most exciting model of the lineup :

The best of the crop ??” for enthusiasts, at least ??” is the V-6 coupe with the six-speed manual gearbox. The coupe features a strong engine-and-transmission combination, with a slick short shifter that never missed a gear and a VTEC-induced engine scream that???‚¬?„?s enough to make any driver smile.

An ???‚¬?„?08 Honda Accord test car arrives today, so check back next week for some initial impressions. Here??™s a final thought from the Times??™s Nick Bunkley, who says:

I???‚¬?„?m not in the business of making predictions, but I can guarantee that the new Accord will not take the title of best-selling midsize car away from the Toyota Camry.

I know this only because the ???‚¬?„?08 Accord, which is 3.3 cubic feet larger inside than its predecessor, is no longer considered a midsize car by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is now classified a full-size sedan.

It also highlights how much of a growth spurt the Accord has gone through in eight generations. When Honda introduced the Accord 32 years ago, the company bragged that the two-door hatchback represented ???a bigger small??? in the class.

The 1976 Accord ??” priced at $3,995 and available in metallic silver, blue or gold ??” had a wheelbase of 93.7 inches, which is 3 inches shorter than today???‚¬?„?s tiniest Honda, the Fit. The Honda Civic of that era was even smaller, at 86.6 inches.

Source: [url=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/24/honda-unwraps-a-new-accord/]New York Times[/url]