Honda Accord - The V6 Power Now Reloaded

The first Honda Accord was produced in the year 1976 and since then it has been one of the most well known models around the world. It has was produced in Japan, USA, New Zealand, England, China, and Thailand. Accord is the best seller from Honda in America where it has sold nearly ten million units since its 1st generation. Honda sells the latest Accord here in India that is available in two engine options the 2.4litre and a much powerful 3.5litre V6 petrol monster. Recently Honda upgraded the Accord, though a minor upgrade. Here is the review of the Honda Accord V6 that has received a minor cosmetic refresh recently in detail.

The Accord's basic shape remains very much the same and what is added, is a thick band of chrome in the front bumper and a band on the rear bumper as well as chrome door strips. The Accord continues its much chiseled look. Dimensions of the car on the outside are huge. The Accord has always had a lot of road presence and the latest Accord too demands a lot of attention automatically while at stand still or seen on the move. Honda has adapted the chiseled look that is very refreshing and also is a big improvement over the soft contours and generic lines of the earlier generation Accords. The Accord has always been a great looker with a thick nose in the front and chrome grill that gives it a very up market feel and also makes it look very mature as compared to its rivals. It’s this sharp styling and huge proportions that really characterizes the new Accord now with loads of chrome around it making it still sportier on the outside.

The front of the Accord is pronounced by the large trapezoidal shaped grille and the sharp shaped headlights that make a very positive style statement. The sides of the Accord are taken by the flared side fenders with the wheels coming out of them make the Accord look ravishing from this angle. A very visible crease that runs across the sides adds to the Accord's muscular stance and taut looks. The rear is also very well shaped and we can boldly state that the current generation of Accord has one of the best looking rears as compared to all earlier Accords. If you want to spot the difference between the 2.4 Accord and the 3.5 Accords well then the 17-inch wheels, the twin chrome exhaust pipes, Sunroof, turn indicators on side mirrors and the V6 badge on the boot are the big difference on the outside.

Interiors, Cabin.

The interiors on the Accord V6 are similar to the one found on the out going Accord V6, the only difference being that of the addition of some extra wood inserts all over in the door panels, centre console and also on the steering wheel. The Accords dash has a swept down look and meets the door panels while sweeping downwards. The steering wheel along with the half wood insert also has metal spokes, and also the cruise control buttons on it. Small paddle shifters are neatly placed behind on the steering as well for those who want to stay in control of the gear shifts. Audio control buttons on the steering are sorely missed but who needs them if you are being chauffeured around you can always use the remote that is tucked away in the rear seat centre arm-rest. The centre console on the dash has a V-shape that protrudes downwards and is very similar to that on the older Accord. Lots of buttons are spread out on the centre dash to set the climate control, audio etc which is kind of difficult to operate at times until you get used to them which I did in a few hours behind the wheel. A small centre dash display screen in monochrome is installed that shows the audio, climate control but there is no graphical display to aid the driver while reversing this is another important thing that we missed even though the Accord has reverse sensor but the driver has to fully relay on the sound that’s emitted via the sensors and estimate the distance from the objects etc while parking or reversing. The automatic gear shifter has a nice sporty shape and is large in size so very easy to grasp and shift between the drive modes conveniently. Driver seat is electrically adjustable while the front passenger seat is manual; we expect the top end 3.5 V6 to have both front seats to be electrically adjustable. Seating on the front seats is very comfortable and ideal support to the thigh and back is designed for. The seats are nice and wide and give a posh comfy feel when seated on them. The drivers seating is perfect with good all round visibility and comfort. Five large-sized adults can sit comfortable in a way no other car in this class can match except the Superb that’s the class leader for the rear seat comfort. In short the seating comfort level inside the Accord is very close to even that of the Mercedes E-class in many ways.

Huge amount of head and legroom is just what can be seen and experienced in the Accord and the seating angle for the back seats is just perfect. Equipment levels for the V6 Accord is similar to that of the 2.4 with a few additions like the Vehicle Stability Assist program that’s thrown in and the all new sun roof that’s standard on this 3.6 V6 sedan. Overall quality on the inside is very good and the material of the dash and switches is rich and overall plastic quality is very good. Equipment level is on the lesser side if compared to the likes of the German models in the segment but comfort and convenience level is at par.

Engine – Performance – Economy

As they say it’s the heart that matters and this baby has got a big heart and V6 cylinders pumping in it. Just for the records this is the largest and most powerful engine that Honda has ever offered in a passenger car so far till date. The all alluminium engine makes 271bhp and creates a monstrous 345Nm of torque making it one of the most powerful cars in its segment. Petrol heads will appreciate that only a very few cars in India can keep up with the power and acceleration of the Accord V6.

The Accord V6 when on the move feels like a quick performer that is always ready to run and perform, take it in the slow boring traffic in city and it will liven the drive with its brisk drive abilities. Pickup is very quick and near instant in the auto mode but its much quicker when driven in the paddle shift manual mode. Speed builds up quickly and in a very refined fashion. The Accord is ready to sprint ahead at the slightest tap on the accelerator paddle. Even at low speed the quick pickup comes very handy to overtake and speed out of the traffic making it a drivers car. When you wait at the red light and the signal turns green the Accord V6 wins hands down against the traffic that is seen vanishing in the rear view mirror very quickly and it is very difficult for any other car to keep up with this performer when on the move.

The Accord V6 has a very impressive mid-range that is very powerful and can thrust the car ahead quiet quickly. On the V6 Accord you would never feel any shortage of power at any speeds and any scenario and it also boasts of a mighty impressive acceleration figures. Like all Honda engines the V6 on the Accord too is super refined engine. The Accord V6 can propel itself to the 100kph mark in a very quick time of 8.6 seconds and still surge ahead and reach past the 200kph mark like a supersonic Jet.

As with all Honda engines the power delivery on the Accord V6 is linear, the surge is strong and the engine revs super smooth at all RPMs. The Accord has everything that a petrol head desires from a petrol high performance engine. The Accord V6 performs brilliantly at medium speeds, many a times you are pushed back into the seat with its speeding ability and you really have to get the feel of the throttle and get used to its acceleration to be in good command. Driving the Accord V6 is fun and becomes very addictive after some time.

The most important factor for any road test or review is the efficiency figures especially for a 6 cylinder powered car for India and to the surprise the V6 Accord did return with same efficiency figures thanks to the unique feature that Honda has incorporated in its engine. Known as VCM or Variable Cylinder Management, this system is programmed to control all the 6 cylinders according to the speed and throttle response. The flexible system that’s run through the ECU virtually decides to run either 6 cylinders or 4 cylinders or may be even 3 cylinders according to the speed and the driver’s inputs. A lot of fuel is saved by the VCM on the Accord V6. If the Accord V6 is been driven along in the city at under 40kmph the VCM senses the drivers input and accordingly adjusts the cylinders and runs only on 3 or 4 cylinders saving your precious fuel in return by resting the remaining cylinders. Efficiency figures of close to 6.9kpl in the city and a unbelievable 11 kmpl on the highway run was all due to the VCM feature and these figures are exemplary for an V6 sedan of this size.

Ride – Handling

Cars from Honda are very good handlers and known for their family virtue of being driver oriented from ages. In the Accord V6 you will notice the space as mentioned earlier. The suspension is tuned for a soft and very absorbent ride quality. The steering feedback is very light and typical Japanese car like and the steering is also aided by the variable ratio and not to mention the super refined engine. The buyer who would buy the 2.4 Accord and the buyer who would opt for the V6 Accord are very different from each other. The V6 is pure performance oriented and mighty strong at that too. The instant acceleration and high speed comes easy for the V6 apart from that cornering and braking are very safe and secure. In short the Accord V6 feels secure and totally at ease during all speeds and at any driving conditions.

The only complaint that could be found is the soft suspension that the Accord is set to. The American tuned suspension may be a bit extra soft for our bad roads but on the flat tarmac it is flawless. The 270bhp Accord V6 needs a mighty braking power to bring it to a standstill and the all disc brake set up on the Accord V6 did impress in a big way. Out and out the Accord V6 is a very good performer oriented luxury sedan, only grouse is that of the soft suspension set up and other than that the Accord is a tough car to beat in its segment as per driving pleasure, comfort, ride quality and space are concerned.

Verdict.

The Accord V6 is very famous luxurious model from the Honda stable across the world and has always been one of the best car in its segment. Honda has done a minor refresh to the Accord and now it looks better with the chrome touch on its exteriors. There is loads of power and refined drive feel on it, it can also be fun to drive when you want it to. Equipment level may be lesser than its German rivals but the refinement levels are up there with the Germans. The only grouse we have is a slightly low level of equipment level for example the auto dimming rear view mirror which is also not available on the V6.

If you are looking for a superbly powerful luxury sedan that has very good drive feel and comfort level and also makes a strong style statement then the Accord V6 is the right car for you. With a brilliant and intelligent V6 engine thanks to the VCM system on it that makes it nearly as efficient as the Accord 2.4 sibling. The Accord V6 is the perfect car that you can take out on the highway bursts and to your farm house as well as also drive in it to your board meetings and conferences.

Specification

HONDA ACCORD V-6

Length 4950 mm

Height 1475 mm

Wheelbase 2800 mm

Width 1845 mm

Ground clearance 152 mm

ENGINE

Fuel type Petrol

Type 6 cylinders in-V, 3471cc

Installation Front, transverse

Maximum power 271bhp at 6200rpm

Maximum torque 345Nm at 5000rpm

Power to weight 167.28bhp per tonne

Bore/stroke 89.0/93.0mm

Compression ratio 10.5:1

Valve gear 4 valves per cyl, SOHC

TRANSMISSION

Gearbox 5-speed auto

CHASSIS & BODY

Construction Monocoque, four-door saloon

Weight 1620kg

Tyres/Type 225/50, R17, tubeless

SUSPENSION

Front Independent, double wishbones, coil springs

Rear Independent, multi-link, coil springs

STEERING

Steering type Rack and pinion

Type of power Hydraulic

BRAKES

Front Ventilated discs

Rear Solid discs

Warranty 2 yrs/40,000 kms

ACCELERATION

Tank size 70 litres