The new 2013 Honda Accord has surfaced in images sourced from the US. This is the 9th generation Accord, and follows a very successful progression of the model.
The Thai-built version will be going for export to countries such as Australia, but it will not be available till mid 2013. In addition to the four-door sedan version, there will also be a coupe, but built in the USA and LHD only.
2013 Honda Accord.
Accord sales have been down due to the devastating Thai floods that crippled production for months, but the production is back up to pre-flood levels.
The Accord powertrain is expected to remain much the same as the current 2.4 liter four cylinder and the 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine range. It is rumored that a hybrid engine is in the pipeline somewhere, but that is not expected to be seen till 2014. The 2.4 liter develops 135 kW of power and 240 Nm of torque – 2 kW and 14 Nm more than the four-cylinder in the current car. The 3.5 liter V6 is said to produce 231 kW of power and 359 Nm of torque – an improvement of 29 kW and 17 Nm over the current V6. However, these are the US figures, and cannot be confirmed at this stage for Thailand. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is expected to replace the five-speed automatic, at least on the four cylinder variants.
The sedan design is mainly evolutionary, with a prominent chrome grille surround and slimmer headlights, though the front of the Accord is often changed for the Asian markets, which likes lots of chrome!
