Test drive the 2011 Honda Accord
The mythical eighth generation ushered in a mid-term revamp when the market performance fluctuated, which was like giving a doping shot to a slightly fatigued distance runner.
It must be noted that this is only a facelift of the eighth-generation Accord in terms of maintaining the vitality of the product. This strategy is often accompanied by slight changes in the appearance, interior and configuration. There are not too many adjustments to the powertrain and chassis. But despite this, it can still attract enough attention and nervousness from opponents.
The eighth-generation Accord, known as the "strongest in history", has always been at the forefront of the sales list of the domestic mid-range car market since its launch. Even when the market is generally in a downturn, it can still grow against the trend, which shows its influence and vitality. The reason is that a good user reputation, unique and aesthetic appearance and interior design, and excellent ride comfort and luxury compared with competitors of the same level cannot be ignored. This time, the positioning of IKEA IKEA has not changed. Customers between the ages of 25 and 45 with mature consumption concepts are still the target of attention.
The appearance and interior changes are not obvious, and the main purpose is to increase the texture
We see Honda’s new design language emerging in the new Accord, and before that, Gestu has proved its success. The well-designed rectangular front air intake grille not only reduces the number of horizontal bars, but also the color treatment is changed from the original black to the bright silver of chrome metal, so that the designer’s pursuit of texture is reflected. The front bumper adopts the bottom "figure eight" design that can bring out the sense of power as needed. In addition, the appearance of lines at both ends is reduced, making the overall effect more harmonious and natural.
On all four 2.4-liter models and one 3.5-liter model, the rims are uniformly designed in 17-inch aluminum alloy, compared with 16-inch rims on the low-spec 2.4-liter model. In addition, the styling has been slightly changed, albeit a little more complex, but visually more impactful. At the lower edge of the taillight, a more conspicuous chrome finish has been added to make the rear more pleasing to the eye.
The changes in the interior are mainly reflected in the material. In the details such as the steering wheel, the rear discharge trend and the door trim strips in the car, the mahogany decoration that can show the luxurious atmosphere has been added, and the new color is slightly lighter than before, which may mean that the new Accord does take care of the preferences of many young consumers in terms of positioning. The key that was criticized by consumers because it did not match its own grade was replaced with a foldable shape, but the details did not further improve its texture, especially in terms of spring damping. There is still room for improvement.
The new navigation system is worth looking forward to
According to the manufacturer’s personnel, compared with the old model, the LCD screen of the new Accord has improved the clarity and color brightness by about 3 times. And in terms of the navigation services it provides, the software has also been upgraded for actual use. It is worth noting that the system can display and select the smooth road section in real time according to the road conditions in front of the navigation route. In order to ensure driving safety, the navigation system has introduced the function of manual voice command, thus avoiding the distraction of the driver during the driving process of the vehicle. In the actual tests we carried out, we found that the voice recognition ability of the system is very good, and even deliberately using a relatively vague voice to give instructions is not difficult. In addition, dialects such as Northeast dialect, Shandong dialect, Tianjin dialect and Shaanxi dialect can also be distinguished more accurately.
In terms of entertainment, the new Accord provides USB and iPod ports. At the same time, in order to further ensure the sound effect of the Kevlar sound system and 20cm subwoofer, the engineers added the ANC active noise reduction system, which can cancel the reverse sound waves emitted by the car stereo with the engine and road noise, so as to achieve a certain degree of silence. In addition, the new car has made targeted improvements in glass thickness, door sound insulation and some details. During the driving process, especially when accelerating and driving on the rougher road surface, it is indeed felt that the effect of these changes is not only improved compared with the previous model, but even comparable to higher-level models.
A gearbox with a reset gear ratio is more fuel efficient
The new Accord still uses the 2.0-liter, 2.4-liter and 3.5-liter power options, but the 5-speed automatic transmission has been improved in gear ratio to reduce fuel consumption and noise during high-speed cruising. In addition, reinforcement rods have been added to the engine compartment of the 2.4-liter and 3.5-liter models, further improving the rigidity of the body. These measures have changed the driving feeling of the new Accord. But the overall adjustment is still mainly based on comfort, but it is undeniable that the front double fork arm and rear multi-link suspension system can fully meet the sports requirements, especially for a transverse engine model like the Accord (the models with transverse engines with double fork arm suspension in the domestic market are not common). In driving, it can be clearly felt that it is very competent in dealing with some road bumps. Even the vibrations that are not completely filtered out are almost offset by the soft and comfortable leather seats before they are transmitted to the body. However, its handling limit performance is not lost due to the softer suspension system, especially in corners. Although the body has rolled, this does not mean that it has completely lost resistance to inertia. On the contrary, the suspension shows a certain degree of toughness after the early compression process, and the tires can still provide a fairly safe grip, helping the driver to find the direction of the corner smoothly.
summarize
Before the test drive of the new Accord, the Guangzhou Honda staff introduced that some of the comfort and convenience improvements seen on the new Accord were adopted after fully listening to the customer’s opinions. Some user-friendly configurations were added by their own engineers after finding that the product was insufficient. Perhaps this ability to absorb feedback and digest opinions is an important factor in the success of the Honda Accord around the world. What we hope is that Guangzhou Honda can handle the supply and demand problem and make those consumers who have a soft spot for Accord forget about the past of increasing prices and picking up cars.
Sergeant Miyashita
Honda Accord Design Office Director Researcher
Auto WeeklyWe noticed that reinforcement bars were added to the 2.4-liter and 3.5-liter models. Why didn’t the same parts appear in the 2.0-liter models?
Sergeant Miyashita: Since all 2.4-liter and 3.5-liter models are equipped with 17-inch wheels, and they are relatively more powerful than 2.0-liter models, they need to be strengthened in terms of body rigidity. The 2.0-liter model does not have this problem.
Auto WeeklyIt seems that the current Honda design is beginning to pursue a certain family genetics, among which it is more obvious that their front air intake grilles are more similar. Is this a trend? Is it possible to see similar designs in details such as waistlines in the future?
Sergeant Miyashita:That’s right! After decades of car manufacturing experience, Honda has also begun to pay more attention to the concept of family genes in car design like some century-old factories in Europe and the United States. Just like the double kidney air intake grille, the rectangular design of Honda is now a major feature. Of course, as time goes by, we will see similar design ideas on more and more Honda car series in the future.