Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled

1. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Prologue

The scenario here is one doesn’t count beans squandering dough on a new car. Still nine out of ten times, criteria are based on practical uses, with styling unquestionably being among them requirements, though should it by no means compromise the occupants’ well-being. Moreover, the car must live up to what its maker boasts about. And as a matter of fact, these apply perfectly to the case of the 2018 facelifted Accord by Honda.

What do you see here is the four-door sedan of the 10th generation making the headline with dramatic changes from head to tail

One thing to make clear is that it’s not just the look having been enhanced to attract more eyeballs. Since the craze for fluid outline has kicked in in recent years, the fastback design has been deployed with an aim to make the car look sleeker and more modern without sacrificing the inside comfort. So how did Honda pull all that off? We have dedicated this review to find out.

2. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Driving and Handling

The sad news is there will be no more thrills from V6 which is binned by Honda who has decided to match the Accord with either of the 2.0-litre or 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol motors. To get into details, the 2.0-litre unit generates a Max power of 250 hp @ 6000 rpm and a Max torque of 370 Nm. Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre unit’s output unit is a tamer 189 horsepower alongside a 260 Nm of Max torque. The transmission offers a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The exception is the Sports variant which receives a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The two motor units powering the 2018 Accord happen to be borrowed from the Civic, replacing the old but beloved V-6

The response to driver’ input is prompt, followed by the smooth delivery of power on road (it takes the car roughly 8 seconds to reach from 0 to 60mph, proving an impressive acceleration expected from Honda vehicles). Apart from the light feel, steering overall doesn’t pose any significant issues. Handling itself is stable thanks to the tweaked suspension (the Touring variant gets the juicy multilink adaptive suspension).

3. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Exterior

Taking inspiration from the Honda Civic, the current Accord completely sloughs its predecessor’s unsophisticated nature and assume a much more fluid outline of a fastback. This transformation starts with the shedding of 50kg. Greatly benefits from the redesigned chassis, the car gets 100mm extra in width and another 50mm to the wheelbase.

The futuristic body profile sure is carried over from the Civic, making the Accord all the more modern and appealing to buyers

The front end sees an addition of the two full LED headlamps, being in pair with daytime running lamps, while the rear end is updated with the fresh C-shaped LED taillamps. The Accord’s storage compartment provides you with a huge capacity of roughly 473 litres for cargo. And if you still find it not enough, the 60/40-split folding rear seats can be folded down flat to free up even more space for heavy gears and large stuff. 

The Accord’s storage compartment provides you with a huge capacity of roughly 473 litres for cargo

4. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Interior

People usually say “sometimes less is more”, which is perfectly the case of the Accord’s cabin

The design on the whole strikes you with the feel of upmarket simplicity which is achieved by the combo of grained plastic, soft leather and faux-wood garnish. Seat comfort is guaranteed by well-placed headrest, neat back support coming with adjustable lumbar support for those who are prone to back pain. That said, cushioning is not sufficiently well padded and results in the stiff posture which in turn may cause some inconvenience during long drives. The vehicle is particularly equipped to diminish traffic noise, though it is expected to experience constant tyre noise on the highway. Ingress and egress, on the other hand, are not highly valued but at the same time doesn’t cause you much difficulty getting in or out. 

The inside feels spacious though taller drivers or passengers may not have enough knee room and headroom. The climate control system comes with clearly labelled manual controls and adjusts the temperature to your preference. The all-new infotainment system is made user-friendly with physical buttons and features an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen, supporting Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and other apps to keep you entertained during a drive.

The all-new infotainment system is made user-friendly with physical buttons and features an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen

And in terms of safety aspect, the 2018 Accord has set an even higher bar than that of a normal Honda vehicle when it comes to safeguarding the customers. This car goes miles ahead of its opponents to keep with a package of most recently-developed technologies which include: ACETM Body Structure, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, Front and Rear Parking Sensor, Honda Lanewatch, Lane Departure Warning, Auto-Dimming IRVM, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Mitigation Braking System.

5. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Color Options

Honda Accord 2018 facelift comes in 4 different colors, including:

• White Orchid Pearl

• Black Pearl

• Steel Grey Metallic

• Silver Metallic

6. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Prices and Variants

7. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Detail Specs

8. Honda Accord 2018 India Facelift Unveiled - Epilogue

At the moment, only the Hybrid variant – petrol model can be had on the market with the Ex-showroom Price in New Delhi starting at ₹ 43.24 Lakhs (On Road Price is expected to be around ₹ 49.13 Lakhs, New Delhi). 

No one knows what changes the future has in store for this vehicle, but for now, it is doing well is the model to be emulated by the others

So this is what we have learnt so far:

The 2018 Accord delivers excellent handling and balance, the Earthdreams engine is punchy and the cabin is greatly insulated against traffic noise, though rear visibility is somewhat compromised. The miss of recently-developed technologies like the automatic stop/start system (quite popular across the mid-size sedan segment) is made up for by other cool convenient features and in no way seem to have any significant impact on the car’s EPA fuel-economy estimates. And to wrap it all up, Honda has just done a great job in transforming the old ninth-gen Accord into the current facelifted 2018 version. No one knows what changes the future has in store for this vehicle, but for now, it is doing well is the model to be emulated by the others.