HYBRID SMOOTH, ROOMY
Honda Accord offers great fuel economy and long list of modern conveniences
It took a while, but Honda has finally got around to re-introducing the Hybrid model into the Accord lineup and, with Canadians currently putting up with highway robbery at the gas pumps, not a moment too soon.
Still, other than superior fuel economy, what is this mid-size, hybrid-powered sedan offering in value to consumers who seem intent on abandoning the car market for the sexier and more functional crossover segments?
Well, according to the marketers whose job it is to hype the Accord Hybrid’s attributes, the long list of positives includes “fun-to-drive performance, efficiency, premium feature content and comfort in a sophisticated and affordable package.” Let’s delve deeper into some of these attributes:
Fun-to-drive performance: If one can make the logical assumption that eyeball-flattening acceleration and sports car-like handling dynamics are not the pri- mary considerations for buying most hybrid vehicles, the Accord Hybrid is surprisingly peppy.
The four-door is motivated by the third generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid powertrain, pairing a 143-horsepower, 2.0-L, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with a 181-hp electric motor that churns out a strong 232 poundfeet of torque. Total system output is 212 hp, more than its primary hybrid rivals: Toyota Camry (208), Hyundai Sonata (193) Kia Optima (192), Ford Fusion (188) and Chevy Malibu (182).
More to the point, the car’s powertrain operates by shifting between three distinct drive operations: EV Drive (100 per cent electric motor), Hybrid Drive (electric motor and the gas engine driving the generator motor) and Engine Drive (gas engine only), utilizing power from both the 2.0-L engine and the electric motors. Then there’s the various modes — Normal, Econ and Sport — to choose from, depending on the driver’s mood. Efficiency: As with the previousgeneration model, the new Accord Hybrid’s two-motor system operates using a continuously variable transmission. The cool feature the more ardent of hypermilers will enjoy is the steering wheel-mounted “deceleration selectors,” which will help maximize energy generation. Yes, they look like regular transmission paddle shifters, but these allow the driver to toggle between four levels of regenerative braking. In light traffic situations, maximum regen braking makes use of the regular brakes almost an afterthought.
As for fuel economy, my realworld testing, primarily involving in-town commuting with a couple of short highway runs, delivered 6.6L/100 kilometres — not quite as efficient as the Camry Hybrid recently tested under similar circumstances, but still not shabby at all. Premium features: The Accord Hybrid lineup comes in two trim levels — Hybrid ($33,090) and Hybrid Touring ($39,790). The base model offers a decent list of standard equipment, such as 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights (low beam) and tail lights, dual-zone climate control, smart entry with push-button start, a seven-inch TFT screen in the gauge cluster, a multi-angle backup camera, and the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, bundling together adaptive cruise control with lowspeed follow, collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition.
The tester, the higher-spec Touring trim, ramps up the feature content. It includes Honda’s Display Audio System with navigation and voice recognition, heads-up display, front and rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, a sunroof and a 452-watt sound system with 10 speakers, including a subwoofer.
So, yes, the car has pretty much all the modern conveniences one would expect when forking out $40,000 for a mid-sized sedan, but without any sense of luxury — a missed opportunity in my books. Then again, the Camry Hybrid was no better in this regard, though it was the less expensive LE trim.
Comfort: The entire Accord lineup is new for 2018. As for the Hybrid, it benefits from a 55-millimetre longer wheelbase than the previous model and a 32 per cent smaller lithium-ion power unit now mounted under the rear floor instead of in the trunk, allowing for the inclusion of a 60/40-split folding rear seat.
Consequently, the Hybrid now provides the same passenger- and cargo-hauling space (a commodious 473-L trunk) and flexibility as its conventionally powered family. Headroom and legroom both front and back are quite generous.
However, while driving, I felt as though I was sitting in a bathtub, even with the power front seat adjusted for height — the side door windows are quite shallow. So, what’s the upshot here? First is that the Hybrid is remarkably typical, driving pretty much like a regular fourcylinder Accord, other than the eerie silence at startup when the car runs on battery power.
Really, there’s more of a learning curve to figuring out the push-button transmission than the car’s hybrid function.
Other than the power gauge in the instrument pod and the Hybrid badges on the outside, there’s little to distinguish it from the rest of the Accord lineup. That’s not a bad thing, the 2018 Accord was recently named Canadian car of the year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.
Taking a longer view of things, the Accord Hybrid joins an expanding lineup of electrified Honda vehicles such as the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and upcoming 2019 Insight hybrid sedan. These models, says Honda, represent its next generation of vehicles.
This brings me to the one big knock against the Accord Hybrid, something mentioned to me by a friend as we were discussing fuel economy and the future of vehicle electrification — a subject on which he was particularly keen.
He was nonplussed to discover that, unlike plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles, which currently get generous rebates from the provinces of B.C., Ontario and Quebec, there’s zip for “regular” hybrids. A major disincentive, he thought. I agreed, and through no fault of the car itself. Still, for those in the market for a fuelefficient, roomy, mid-sized sedan, rest assured the Accord Hybrid is a leading and frugal contender.