Mid-cycle changes bring badly needed fuel economy improvements from the 5-speed.
The upcoming 2011 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe will receive changes that include improved fuel economy, modified exterior and interior styling and the addition of a new leather-equipped Special Edition (SE) trim level. It’s a mild upgrade of the eighth generation Accord that appeared in 2008.
The Accord, of course, was the first Japanese-nameplate car assembled in the United States in 1982 when it was being made both in Japan and in a brand-new automobile assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio. The success of the Accord set a path for Honda’s huge American expansion, and proved that building cars in America was a viable proposition.
The fuel economy improvement is significant since Accord still lacks a sixth transmission speed, unlike Toyota and other competitors. Given the competitiveness of the segment – accounting for almost 20% of the cars sold in the U.S., Honda is still playing catch up here, an unexpected lag for what normally is a company that resides at the top of the innovation column of the scorecard. (See Driving the 2010 Honda Accord ) More ominous is the large drop in Honda R&D spending since 2008 when the reckless practices of Wall Street resulted in the ongoing Global Great Recession and cutbacks at all makers.
For the new model year, Honda claims that improvements to vehicle aerodynamics, engine friction and transmission gear ratios contribute to better fuel economy. It is projecting that the EPA fuel-economy rating for Accord 4-cylinder sedan models equipped with an automatic transmission will improve by 2 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 3 mpg on the highway, for a city/highway rating of 23/34 mpg.
Honda has already sold more than 100,000 Accords this year in sedan or coupe versions with 4-cylinder and V6 variations. Toyota Camry total sales are close to 97,000, meaning that Honda is threatening Camry’s, eight-year best-selling streak. Both Accord and Camry leases start in the $200/month range right now, and well-equipped models are offered at under $300. It will be interesting to see if Honda increases the price of the new Accord when it goes on sale in mid-August.
The 2011 Accord Sedan’s exterior has a new front grille, front bumper and rear deck lid, along with a new wheel design. The Accord Coupe’s stance is enhanced with a “bolder” front grille design, new front bumper shape, changed brakelights and a new wheel design for V6 models.
Accord EX-L V6 models receive a two-position memory for the driver's seat.
New features include steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters on the Accord EX-L V6 Coupe, a USB audio interface on all coupe models and Accord EX and EX-L Sedans. There’s also a rearview camera on sedans equipped with the optional navigation system. Accord EX-L V6 models receive a two-position memory for the driver’s seat. Other updates on all models include new seat fabrics, and a changed instrument panel design.
A 190-horsepower, 2.4-liter, 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine is standard in the EX and EX-L Sedans and LX-S, EX and EX-L Coupes. The 2.4-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine in the LX, LX-P and SE Sedans produces 177 horsepower. The engine is smooth and more than powerful enough for the Accord, making the V6 engine unneeded.
The optional 3.5-liter, 24-valve SOHC i-VTEC V6 engine now produces 271-horsepower and continues Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology that can deactivate up to half of the cylinders while cruising to improve fuel economy. Preliminary EPA fuel-economy ratings for the 2011 Accord V6 Sedan are 19 city/30 highway mpg, an improvement of 1 mpg in highway driving.
The performance-oriented Accord EX-L V6 Coupe with the 6-speed manual transmission has a unique 3.5-liter V6 VTEC engine (without VCM) that provides a performance-tuned valvetrain, intake and exhaust system to broaden the torque curve in the low- to mid-rpm range for enthusiast-level performance.
A 5-speed manual transmission is standard on 4-cylinder models and a 5-speed automatic is available. A 5-speed automatic transmission is standard on V6-powered models. A 6-speed manual transmission is available exclusively on the Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe.
Three audio systems are available – all with MP3/Windows Media Audio playback capability and an auxiliary input jack. The standard system provides a single-disc CD player, six speakers and 160 watts of power. Radio Data System (RDS) displays information broadcast by participating FM radio stations that can include call letters, station type (searchable by genre) and programming information. Steering wheel-mounted audio controls come standard on every Accord. The Accord EX Sedan and LX-S Coupe add a 6-disc in-dash changer.
A premium 270-watt audio system comes standard on Accord EX Coupe and Accord EX-L Sedan models, and includes a six-disc CD changer and seven speakers including an 8-inch subwoofer. XM Radio is standard equipment on all Accord EX-L models.
The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System (available on Accord EX-L) uses an 8-inch screen and an interface dial for user input. Features include the Zagat Survey guide for restaurants, nightlife, hotels and attractions. Accord EX and EX-L Coupe and Accord EX-L Sedan models include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink as standard equipment for connecting wirelessly with compatible mobile phones.
The Accord Coupe (4-cylinder) has 17-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment, with 18-inch alloys standard on the Accord V6 Coupe. All Accords have four-wheel disc brakes.
Currently more than 95% of the Accords sold in the United States are produced at Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.’s Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio, and at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC, in Lincoln, Alabama, using domestic and imported components. The Marysville plant is the sole global source of the Accord Coupe.