Is it really necessary?
Sometimes, cars are redesigned without really needing to be. After five years on the market, the current Accord will be replaced by an all-new version this fall. However, every time I drive it, it just doesn't feel that old.
A V6-powered Accord is quick, well-equipped, spacious and tight as a drum. The hybrid version promises to be the Ultimate Accord, with a higher level of straight-line performance while consuming less fuel.
Performance
This car is quick. With its 253 horsepower, the 0-100 km/h sprint is accomplished in under 7 seconds, which is about a half-second quicker than the regular Accord V6. By mashing the gas pedal for some passing power, the 5-speed automatic reacts instantly and allows the gas engine and electric motor to vigorously pick up the pace.
However, I could never quite determine the situations when the electric assistance comes into play; there doesn't seem to be a pattern, or at least I couldn't figure it out. I had the impression that the system intervenes whenever it feels like it, and didn't always help out under full-throttle accelerations. The same thing goes for soft launches; sometimes the electric motor stumbled in, sometimes it didn't.
Fuel consumption
As for the V6 engine, it deactivates three cylinders when full power isn't required. So, at 110 km/h on the highway, or at a stable 50 km/h around town, the green 'ECO' turns on to indicate that we're saving gas.
In addition, the engine stops when the car is immobilized at a stop sign or a traffic light, for example, and it restarts in a fraction of a second when the car is back in movement. I felt a small vibration every time the engine fired up, which becomes irritating. A Ford Escape Hybrid that I recently drove didn't seem to have this problem.
I averaged 10.6 L/100 km. It's more than the published figures of 8.2 (city) and 6.1 (highway), but I did perform some full-throttle blasts to the redline; it's the most-powerful Accord after all, so I'd be foolish not to try it out.
Sometimes, cars are redesigned without really needing to be. After five years on the market, the current Accord will be replaced by an all-new version this fall. However, every time I drive it, it just doesn't feel that old.
A V6-powered Accord is quick, well-equipped, spacious and tight as a drum. The hybrid version promises to be the Ultimate Accord, with a higher level of straight-line performance while consuming less fuel.
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| After a week's test drive, the fuel consumption numbers were higher than the published figures. |
Performance
This car is quick. With its 253 horsepower, the 0-100 km/h sprint is accomplished in under 7 seconds, which is about a half-second quicker than the regular Accord V6. By mashing the gas pedal for some passing power, the 5-speed automatic reacts instantly and allows the gas engine and electric motor to vigorously pick up the pace.
However, I could never quite determine the situations when the electric assistance comes into play; there doesn't seem to be a pattern, or at least I couldn't figure it out. I had the impression that the system intervenes whenever it feels like it, and didn't always help out under full-throttle accelerations. The same thing goes for soft launches; sometimes the electric motor stumbled in, sometimes it didn't.
Fuel consumption
As for the V6 engine, it deactivates three cylinders when full power isn't required. So, at 110 km/h on the highway, or at a stable 50 km/h around town, the green 'ECO' turns on to indicate that we're saving gas.
In addition, the engine stops when the car is immobilized at a stop sign or a traffic light, for example, and it restarts in a fraction of a second when the car is back in movement. I felt a small vibration every time the engine fired up, which becomes irritating. A Ford Escape Hybrid that I recently drove didn't seem to have this problem.
I averaged 10.6 L/100 km. It's more than the published figures of 8.2 (city) and 6.1 (highway), but I did perform some full-throttle blasts to the redline; it's the most-powerful Accord after all, so I'd be foolish not to try it out.
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| 253 ponies are generated by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) in the Accord. |