2013 Honda Accord Sedan is out !!!

First Look: 2013 Honda Accord Sedan

Shorter, roomier, more fuel-efficient.

by Paul A. Eisenstein on Aug.08, 2012

Honda releases the first images of the production 2013 Accord sedan.

After an unexpectedly long wait, Honda is finally giving the world a first look at the completely updated, 2013 Accord sedan.
Until now, Honda had provided only a hint of what was coming in the form of a coupe concept that debuted all the way back in January at the Detroit Auto Show — generating mixed reviews for its relatively conservative looks largely unchanged from the previous coupe.

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The production sedan revealed today “doesn’t scream and shout,” said Honda’s U.S. product chief Vicki Poponi, though she also insisted the 2013 Honda Accord is “the most sculpted and the most dynamic Accord yet,” following Honda’s design dictum, “man maximum, machine minimum.”
The design is sleeker and less extreme than some past updates, with a more coupe-like roofline that reflects today’s industry vogue. The maker also claims the 2013 Honda Accord will be notably more fuel-efficient than the model it replaces.

Honda's new Accord is 3 inches shorter but roomier than the outgoing model.

The nose of the new model is distinguished by a bolder grille than the current sedan, with stronger creases framing the hood. A character line flows through the upper body and into a tapered rear with which Honda intends to convey a sense of muscularity. The maker has put a premium on fuel-saving aerodynamics with such details as a near-flush windshield, flush wipers and a partially sealed underbody.
The new Accord is a surprising three inches shorter than the outgoing model but Honda engineers have gotten creative and found ways to add a full cubic foot to the trunk and have increased cabin space, as well.
The maker will feature what it describes as “premium” details, such as LED headlights, taillamps and Daytime Running Lights.

The concept version of the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe debuted in Detroit last January.

Meanwhile, Honda will use the 2013 Accord to begin the roll-out of an all-new powertrain line-up. The four-cylinder version of the sedan will feature Honda’s new CVT transmission – one which Honda assures will not suffer from the sort of rubber band-like feeling displayed by many competing continuously variable transmissions. The new Accord will also be available with a V-6, a powertrain many competing midsize sedans have been dropping.
The traditional best-seller for the Japanese maker, few vehicles are more important in the Honda line-up – nor more at risk at a time when the midsize market is seeing more competition than ever in the U.S. market. Toyota launched an all-new version of its best-selling Camry in 2012 and among the all-new models already in, or soon coming, to showrooms for 2013 are the Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion.
But Honda hopes to launch the 2013 Accord at just the right moment to take advantage of the momentum it has been gaining as it rebuilds in the wake of Japan’s earthquake-led product shortages. The maker has steadily begun gaining traction, the Honda brand’s sales gaining 45.3%, year-over-year, in July. And the outgoing Accord was up more than 70% at a time in its lifecycle when most products typically taper off.
Of course, July numbers were compared to the disastrous sales of a year ago when Honda factories were all but shut down due to parts shortages caused by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The new Accord will likely be key to keeping that momentum. The question is whether Honda has avoided some of the pitfalls that have generated so much negative press for the most recent update of its smaller Civic line. Just this week, influential Consumer Reports magazine once again trashed the Civic by listing it as one of “Five Popular Cars to Avoid.”
(Click Herefor that report.)
Notably, Honda is not offering a look at the interior of the new Accord. That could be telling as a key criticism of the Civic was the readily apparent corner-cutting the maker had taken. Honda officials promise they have not repeated that mistake but whether they’ve gone far enough apparently won’t be revealed until later this summer when journalists get a first ride in the 2013 Honda Accord.