Back when Japanese imports were still a novelty in the U.S. market, I got to ride with a journalist colleague in his brand new Honda Accord, and I still remember the experience: This was a car that was going to set itself apart quickly from what the Detroit Three were offering in the U.S. market and help usher in a whole new era in the American auto industry.
Well, actually, my thought wasn’t quite as grandiose as that. But what the new Accord was bringing to the table in a driving and user experience was much more than just a step change: It was a revelation.
I won’t go that far about the new Honda Accord version. But what the all-new, 11th-generation Accord does do is prove that the dedication Honda has continued to pay to the still-shrinking sedan market in the U.S. can still get rewards in a vehicle that significantly advances the category.
The new Accord is sleekly and pleasingly styled and offers a better hybrid version, which I drove. For 2023, Accord also offers Honda’s first integration of Google built-in, for seamless connectivity. New tech includes Honda’s largest-ever touchscreen, at 12.3 inches.
Honda has been smart with the Accord hybrid, using it as a key steppingstone in the brand’s strategy of gradual electrification. It’s done a good job so far of making a representative vehicle for the sector: The hybrid version has become so mainstreamed that Honda expects it to represent about half of overall sales of Accord, a significantly high level of penetration for a hybrid as the general pace of electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet still faces strong headwinds.
So let’s start with the powertrain of the latest version of the Accord hybrid. As you’d expect, it doesn’t provide as much torque or pack as much punch as an all-electric version of Accord someday will do. But the hybrid’s powertrain is more than energetic enough to give you lots of confidence on the road that you can rely on its punch when you need to and relax in its fuel efficiency all the time.
The engine is a 204-horsepower hybrid system, including a 2.o-liter, four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, a lithium-ion battery and front-wheel drive. Zero to 60 mph happens in just six seconds, relying on the system’s mid-range punch. EPA-rated mileage is 46 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, which are fantastic metrics for a mid-size sedan.
Notably, the Accord hybrid powertrain also is very quiet — uncommonly so for a general-market-priced sedan. The key to this aspect of its performance likely is that, unlike most hybrids, Accord’s hybrid is propelled primarily by its electric motors, with the gasoline engine serving as more of a generator. This means it can be considerably quieter than some rival hybrids.
Predictably displaying Honda’s expertise, Accord also provides an extremely smooth ride, especially for a mid-priced sedan. It’s roomy enough inside despite the long, sloping roofline. Honda continues to upgrade the materials in Accord, and the model offers sensible options for touch controls for most functions, as well as a new, 12.3-inch infotainment display.
One of the amenities available only in the top trim level, Touring, is Google Assistant, which allows drivers to talk to Google to easily call or text, set reminders, and change temperature and other settings in the car. They can use Google Assistant to set their destination in Google Maps using just their voice, with the route map then displayed in the instrument cluster.