The 2023 Honda Accord Gets a Clever Hybrid Powertrain

We may live in an SUV/crossover world, but the Honda Accord is still important. Last year, it was the third best-selling Honda car in North America, behind just the CR-V and Civic. So, Honda is sticking with its perennial mid-sizer. The automaker pulled the wraps off the new, 11th-generation on Thursday.

Like most all-new Honda-branded cars launched in the last few years, the Accord is a heavily revised version of its predecessor. Length is increased by 2.8 inches to 195.7 inches total, and the rear track grows 0.4 inches, but otherwise, the dimensions between the new and old Accords are identical. The bodywork is new, though, fitting in line with Honda's understated restyling of Civic, HR-V, CR-V, and Pilot, and the interior is very similar to the excellent cabin of the new Civic.

The big news is with the powertrain. The base engine, a 1.5-liter turbo four, carries over with 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque and a standard CVT gearbox (the manual Accord died in 2020). Those power figures are identical to the old Accord's, but the engine gets a new catalyst, a new direct-injection system, plus a stiffer crankshaft and oil pan. Honda promises more smoothness and better emissions from the 1.5.