Yahoo Autos 2023 Honda Accord First Look: Not 'all' new, but it probably doesn't matter
In the pantheon of automotive legends, the Honda Accord has a pedestal right up at the front. Whether measured by sales volume, customer loyalty or overall excellence, it’s been a tough one to beat since it first washed up on North American shores. Now it’s time to see if the 11th-generation, 2023 Honda Accord can keep the streak going.
To call it all-new would not be accurate. The length and track might be different by about a half inch, but the wheelbase, height and width are all the same. So is the colossal 16.7-cubic-foot trunk, and the interior sure seems identically enormous despite the official dimensions not being available at this time. Anecdotally, the silhouette is incredibly similar to the outgoing Accord, with the updated styling amounting to something north of your typical mid-cycle refresh but less than the usual “all-new” from-scratch redesign. It generally looks lower, longer and pointier.
This approach is not dissimilar from what we’ve seen elsewhere in the industry in recent years as car companies divert dollars away from increasingly less popular cars and toward electric R&D. If that’s the case here, then at first look at least, it’s hard to say that the 2023 Honda Accord is worse for it. The previous generation remained so excellent and competitive throughout its life that it was actually surprising to find out that it was due for a replacement (Accords have traditionally lasted five or six years).
OK, so besides the styling, what has been changed? The main element is the model structure and what’s under the hood. The LX and EX trims are now exclusively paired with the 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four that’s been worked over to be more refined and responsive despite the carry-over 192-horsepower output. Its CVT now simulates gear changes under heavy throttle.
The Accord hybrid is no longer a separate model, and instead it's the only powertrain fitted to the Sport, EX-L, Sport-L and Touring trim levels. It’s the same all-new hybrid powertrain that so impressed in the 2023 Honda CR-V, complete with more power (204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque) and simulated gear shifts that dramatically improve drivability relative its predecessors and Toyota’s droning hybrids. Meanwhile, the 2.0-liter turbo-four has been discontinued and don’t bother asking about the manual transmission.
Despite the carry-over platform, the new Accord’s chassis is more rigid thanks to stiffer body supports and front brace bars that apparently improve the ride, handling and overall refinement (note that all of these were very good on the Accord before). The suspension was retuned for a more engaging driving experience, specifically for the purposes of reducing steering friction and increasing steering smoothness (similar efforts were made with success in the CR-V).
