Honda has a new flagship in Australia.
Sure, it’s not the most expensive Honda you can buy locally – that honour belongs to the Civic Type R hot hatch, which is $10,000 pricier than the Accord.
Don’t be fooled though. The Accord is bigger than the Civic, and meaningfully more luxurious. Its name also means something a bit different.
Where the Civic was traditionally an economy car, the Accord sits only one step below the high-tech Legend on Honda’s product pyramid… or at least it used to, before the Legend was axed. Now, it’s the top of the tree.
Just one model is offered in Australia – the 2024 Honda Accord e:HEV RS – which combines an efficient hybrid powertrain with a sporty exterior package, and a plush interior loaded to the gills with gadgets.
Is it a worthy hero for Honda?
How much does the Honda Accord cost?
2024 Honda Accord pricing:
- Honda Accord e:HEV RS: $64,900
Prices are drive-away
To see how the Honda Accord stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool.
What is the Honda Accord like on the inside?
There’s a lot of common threads linking the Accord to the broader Honda range, but it’s all a bit… nicer.
From the supple leather seats to the bigger infotainment screen and the flashy ambient lighting system, it’s a nice place to spend time.
The driving position is excellent, with plenty of support for long-legged drivers and enough adjustment for awkward body shapes to get comfortable, and vision out is surprisingly good given the sloping roofline and long overhangs.
It’s a big car, but it’s not an imposing one to drive.
Honda has fitted a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system here, complete with Google built-in.
That means proper Google Maps with live traffic, and Google Assistant at your beck-and-call when you’ve an internet connection. It also means you get over-the-air system updates.
Google Maps is excellent, and looks properly high-end in the digital instrument cluster (even though you’re not able to use them and have CarPlay running), but I’m yet to really see the benefits of having Google Assistant in the car.
The new screen is also not all that much more useful than the system in the CR-V and Civic, given you need to reach to its far corners to adjust the fan speed or fiddle with your specific climate controls. Although the oversized dial in the middle of the dash can be programmed to do multiple things, it can’t serve as a fan controller or volume knob.
What is useful is the new head-up display, which is able to show speed, vehicle warnings, and live navigation directions. It’s crystal clear, and makes it easier to keep your eyes on the road without missing any of the information in the digital binnacle.
Storage space is excellent. There are big cupholders, a wireless phone charger under the dash, and a deep central bin, along with door bins that can accommodate oversized drink bottles. Two USB-C ports feature up front.
Rear seat space is a mixed bag. At 4975mm long and 1862mm wide, this is an enormous car – knocking on the door of BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class dimensions, for example.
But it offers acceptable legroom rather than standout, and the sloping roofline conspires with what feels like a raised rear bench to eat into headroom.
Kids and normal adults of average will still be able to get comfortable back there, but looking at the outside you’d reasonably expect it to be palatial.
At least you get air vents and USB-C ports back there, along with three top tether points and two ISOFIX points.
Parents will be pleased with the sunshades that are standard on the rear windows, along with the fold-down central armrest that can be used to separate warring rear seat passengers.
Claimed boot space is 570 litres, and the rear bench folds 60/40. The boot opening looks small from the outside, but is suitably broad. At risk of playing into Accord owner stereotypes, it’ll happily deal with multiple sets of golf clubs.
What’s under the bonnet?
Just one Honda Accord model is on offer in Australia, and it’s a hybrid.
| Model | Honda Accord e:HEV |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0-litre 4cyl petrol |
| Engine outputs | 108kW + 182Nm |
| Electric motor outputs | 135kW + 335Nm |
| Combined hybrid power | 152kW |
| Transmission | eCVT |
| Driven wheels | Front-wheel drive |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 4.3L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 4.5L/100km |
| Fuel tank size | 48 litres |
| Fuel type | 91 RON |
To see how the Accord lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool.
How does the Honda Accord drive?
This is a very comfortable car on the open road.
From the second you sink into the cushy driver’s seat and prod the start button, which elicits a shrill beep rather than the roar of an engine, it’s all just very nice.
With light steering and a supple ride, it’s the sort of car you’d happily flop into after a tough day at the office with a tough commute ahead of you.
Performance from the hybrid system is impressive. With 335Nm on tap from its electric motor alone, it’s rare the petrol engine needs to kick in when you’re moving with traffic at city speeds. That makes for smooth, silent progress.
When the engine does kick in, it’s not harsh or intrusive. It hums away in the background at a cruise, and when you’re in a hurry the transmission does an impressive impersonation of a conventional automatic, letting the engine run out to redline before grabbing another “gear” and going again.
Although there’s no performance benefit to that approach, it just feels right.
Ride quality is also excellent. Pimply city streets float under its wheels without disturbing the serenity, and it soaks up bigger bumps effortlessly. Despite its size, the Accord doesn’t feel like a cumbersome barge – it actually feels quite composed, and light on its feet.
The impressive refinement isn’t undermined at higher speeds, where the Accord is an accomplished cruiser.
Even at 80km/h, the electric motor feels as though it’s doing a chunk of the heavy lifting. The petrol engine cuts in regularly, but it feels as though it’s helping the electric motor rather than the other way around below around 80km/h.
There’s ample punch under your right foot if you want to overtake at highway speeds, and Honda’s active driver assists are excellent.
The adaptive cruise is confident and smooth, the active lane centring system doesn’t feel like it’s trying to rip the wheel from your hands, and the massive head-up display flashes orange in an incredibly attention-grabbing manner if it thinks you’re about to rear-end someone. There’s no missing it.
There’s even some fun to be had if you’re in a hurry. The steering is fluid and direct, and there’s some real talent in the chassis when you fling it into a corner.
The Accord is lauded in the USA for its blend of practicality and fun, and it’s easy to see why.
What do you get?
This is a generously equipped car, with some strange omissions – it doesn’t have heated seats, for example, which it really should.
Accord e:HEV RS highlights:
- 18-inch machined black alloy wheels
- Active shutter grille
- LED headlights (with auto high beam)
- LED daytime running lights
- Digital key
- 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
- 11.5-inch head-up display
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 12-speaker Bose premium sound system
- Rear USB-C ports
- 8 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Cyclist, Motorcyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver attention monitoring
- Lane keep assist (72km/h and above)
- Lane centring assist
- Parking sensors
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Rear seat reminder
- Surround-view camera
- Traffic jam assist (up to 72km/h)
- Traffic sign recognition
Is the Honda Accord safe?
The Honda Accord hasn’t been crash tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
It has eight airbags, along with the following active driver assists:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Lane departure warning
- Lane keeping assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Driver monitoring system
- Traffic sign monitoring
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 360-degree surround camera
How much does the Honda Accord cost to run?
The Accord is backed by the same five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty as the broader Honda range.
| Warranty | 5 years/unlimited kilometres |
|---|---|
| Service intervals | 12 months/10,000km |
| Capped price servicing | 5 years |
| Average capped-price service cost | $199 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $995 |
CarExpert’s Take on the Honda Accord
The new Accord is lovely, but it’s hard to see Australian buyers racing to their local Honda Centre to get their hands on one.
For the diehards, its comfortable interior and impressive hybrid powertrain will be appealing. It also handles better than you’d expect of a big, comfortable Honda liftback.
There’s no question it’s a distinctive thing to look at as well, although the sporty RS is out of keeping with the traditionally demure Accord vibe.
But… from a purely rational perspective, it doesn’t make a heap of sense. Rear headroom has been compromised at the altar of style, which undermines its usefulness as a family hauler, and if you really want to stand out from the crowd there’s plenty of interesting cars on offer around the $60,000 mark.
It’s also missing a few key features (seat heating, for example) in line with its flagship billing. In other words, it’s a car for the Honda tragics.
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