HISTORY goes a long way in the automotive industry, and the Accord name has been associated with Japanese car maker Honda since 1976. In 2018, that name now comes with a sportier look and feel, and sleek new interior.
Loaded with technology, Honda has created a more comfortable luxury car to carry the favoured mid-sized sedan name, enhancing driving experience along the way, in a bid to give higher priced European sedans a run for their money.
With a drive away price tag of $57,142, it’s very competitive in that respect, and we found the 2018 Honda Accord V6L not only easy to drive, but luxurious, with a smooth, effortless ride, and excellent suspension.
It’s powered by a 206kW 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine that pushes out 339Nm of torque, in smooth as silk fashion, with excellent power delivery. Put your foot down and you and your passengers will be thrown back into your seats.
While we noticed a little bit of lag in acceleration here and there, it was nothing that would cause an issue and the Honda runs quite happily on standard E10 with no noticeable loss of power or economy.
The new luxury Accord is fitted with a 65-litre fuel tank and Honda claims combined fuel usage numbers of 9.3-litres/100km, although the best we could manage was a still respectable 10.8-litres/100km.
Coupled with a six speed automatic gearbox, the Accord is a joy to drive, with solid controlled downshifting on hill descents, thanks to Grade Logic technology, which also helps reduce the need for heavy braking.
If you want to have a little more control you can also move the gear shift to the ‘S’ position and use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel to manage your gear changes manually.
Changes to the outside of the new Accord are minimum, with some improved styling to give a more streamlined look, and the introduction of a better range of quality paint finishes to make the Honda stand out.
These include Lunar Silver (Metallic), Crystal Black (Pearlescent), Modern Steel (Metallic) and White Orchid (Pearlescent). It also has stylish 18-inch alloys and a full-sized alloy spare – for real.
There are front and rear parking sensors as well as reversing camera, and the side mirrors can be electronically retracted, while the passenger mirror will auto-tilt while reversing, reducing the risk of gutter rash on those stylish alloys.
A rear spoiler and side skirts complete the car’s sporty look as well. Move to the inside, and it’s a cavalcade of technology and safety systems, including adaptive cruise control and a full brake assist system.
The 2018 Honda Accord V6L gets a 5-star ANCAP safety rating and also includes electronic brake force distribution, emergency stop signal, collision mitigation braking, lane keep assist and road departure mitigation.
There’s high beam support and hill start assist, along with Honda’s trademarked Lane Watch system; think of it as cruise control joined with active lane keep assist technology to keep you centred in the lane you’re driving in.
From a technology perspective, not only are there multiple power outlets and USB ports, the infotainment system includes AM/FM radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, SatNav, DVD player and an HDMI port in the console.
The screen is a 7-inch colour touch screen and some seven speakers, including a sub-woofer pump out the tunes, with speed sensitive volume compensation as a switchable option should you be a fan.
All four power windows are full auto, an unusual thing across most car brands, and there are built in manual window shades on the rear door windows, as well as an electronically operated rear window shade.
It’s another nice touch across a range of nice touches in this car, providing sun protection and privacy to rear occupants of the vehicle; especially handy if you have little kids.
The front seats are both electrically operated and heated, with a full leather interior including the steering wheel and gear knob. The finish on the console and dash are very nice, but we found it scratches a little too easily.
The 2018 Honda Accord V6L comes with a 7-year warranty for a limited time (Honda’s standard warranty is five years).
Our 2018 Honda Accord V6L was provided by Honda Australia. To find out more, contact your local Honda dealer.
