The Japanese carmaker Honda has released preliminary details about the 2013 Accord lineup. This is the ninth generation of the vehicle and it will be offered in both 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe body styles when it goes on sale this fall in North America. The coupe version looks just about the same as the concept shown by Honda back in January during the 2012 edition of the Detroit Auto Show. Despite the fact that there aren’t any photos with the interior cabin at the moment, Honda says that there’s more space for passengers and cargo, although both the sedan and the coupe “are noticeably shortened.” Honda revealed earlier this year that the new Accord will adopt the forward collision warning system, blind spot detection, lane departure warning system, and a rearview camera.
The 2013 Honda Accord marks the arrival of a hybrid powertrain for the North American market in the form of a 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter gasoline unit mated to an electric continuously variable transmission as well as to an electric motor that generates 161 hp (120 kW) which is being fed by a 6 kWh lithium-ion battery. The hybrid Accord features three driving modes: direct-drive, gasoline-electric and all-electric.
When running in all-electric mode, the new hybrid Accord is capable of providing a total city range of about 10 – 15 miles (16 – 24 km) and a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 km/h). It takes less than four hours to fill the battery by using a regular 120-volt outlet, while with a 240-volt charger the battery will be filled in less than 1.5 hours.
The 2013 Honda Accord is also offered with an all-new 2.4-liter direct-injected engine that pumps out 181 hp and a peak torque of 177 lb.-ft. In addition, Honda provides the new Accord with a larger 3.5-liter V5 i-VTEC unit that is more powerful than the version found in the 2012 model year. The 4-cylidner engine can be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox or to a new CVT, while the V6 gets either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Source: Honda
