Like Honda, my road comes to a turn
THE GLOBAL car industry is changing in terms of products and function.
Those shifts are represented in the subject of this week’s review, the all-new 2018 Honda Accord Touring.
It is the new midsize, frontwheel-drive Honda Accord sedan, the Touring trim model driven for this column - the direction I think the industry is going.
It is safe. It offers as standard equipment advanced electronic safety items sold as costly options on other cars - blind-side monitoring, collision-mitigation braking, pedestrian-intervention braking, road-departure mitigation and more.
Honda has changed the overall physical structure of the new Accord to improve passenger comfort and crash safety.
The feel of the new Accord is solid without being heavy. The exterior look is attractive and efficient. The company uses technology such as laser brazing to achieve a smoother, more air-resistant roofline.
With the Accord Touring, Honda seems more interested in making a practical car that works for its buyers than it does in exploiting the ego for cash.
The Touring trim level comes with a new engine - a turbocharged 2.0-litre, inline petrol four-cylinder model that replaces a V-6. The new engine is powerful (252 horsepower, 273 pound-feet of torque).
Yet, it is reasonably fuel-efficient in delivering an average 35 miles per gallon (14.9 km per litre) on the highway using regular unleaded fuel.
Head-turning quotient: It is conservative but attractive, smaller than predecessor models on the outside with a more accommodating and upscale interior.
Body style/layout: The new Accord is a front-engine, frontwheel-drive, midsize sedan completely redesigned for 2018. It is available in six trim levels - Sport, Hybrid, EX, EX-L, EX-L Navi, and Touring.
Capacities: Seating is for five people. Cargo capacity with all seats in place is 16.7 cubic feet (472 litres). Fuel capacity is 56 litres.
Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel disc brakes, ventilated front and solid rear; four-wheel anti-lock brake protection; emergency braking assistance; traction and stability control; pre- and post-collision systems; advanced electronic safety systems; and side, head and knee air bags.
Pricing: The 2018 Honda Touring sedan starts at US$35,800 (RM146,800). — Washington Post.